Man dies from COVID-19 months after helping wife start her own business

Aug 07, 2022 News

==The Detective==

By Shervin Belgrave

Kaieteur News – The unfolding of some events in life can sometimes be so peculiar that they leave us with more questions than answers. Such is the plight of Dianna Fredericks whose loving husband months before he passed away helped her become self-sufficient.

Happier times: Lennox Fredericks (centre) with his wife Dianna and their children

Did he have a premonition or was it just a mere coincident? Maybe we will never know.

However, the facts of the matter, as received by The Detective, is that at the age of 61, Lennox Andrew Fredericks, who was the sole breadwinner of his family – his wife Dianna and three sons, ages 24, 12, and 7, had his life snuffed out in September 2021. This was following a severe bout with the very infectious disease COVID-19 which to date has claimed the lives of millions across the world.

But months before he died, while he was still in good health, Fredericks was busy helping his wife set up her own catering business at Bartica, Region Seven.

As she reflected on how things played out, Dianna wondered out loud if indeed her husband had an inkling of how things were destined to play out.

But despite measures being in place for her to take care of herself and sons, the woman intimated that losing a loving husband and the father of her children suddenly has been no easy pill to swallow.

I learnt of Dianna’s story when I travelled to Bartica recently to cover a government outreach which was led by President Mohammed Irfaan Ali. During the outreach President Ali had encouraged the Bartica residents to tell him about the problems they are facing and had even promised that his government would try its best to assist them in any way possible.

Dianna, of course, was one of the residents who robustly shared her story in hopes of getting help from the government to expand her small business.

She related to the President, “I am a single mother…COVID took away my husband.” She painted a glowing picture of her husband – he was a good man who served the community of Bartica with pride, dignity and selflessness.

She left no doubt in the minds of those listening that she loved and adored her husband. She spoke of him as her hero who dedicated 38 years of his life to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) as an excellent electrician.

Flashback: Lennox Fredericks enjoying a swim in a pool with his children.

Later, she told me that she had first met him at a domino competition in Bartica. At the time he was 37 years old. Although he was a handsome, medium built man, Diana said that he captivated her attention simply because they had a lot in common, including a love for the game of dominoes. “He loved dominoes and I loved playing dominoes too,” she said.

She disclosed that despite being a father already, once they struck up a relationship she was ready to accept his children as her own.

Their romance continued for six years until they decided to tie the knot. In total, they spent 24 years together, of which they spent 18 years and seven months as man and wife. Their union, according to Dianna, produced four sons but sadly one of them, Lennon Fredericks – their second son, died in 2016 by drowning.

As Dianna reminisced on the wonderful years she spent with her husband, she said, “Words are not enough to describe him, he always put his family first, he was very family oriented and loved us and his other relatives dearly.”

He related too that “Lennox loved children a lot. He had this personality that attracted little babies and he would refer to them as his ‘lil friend’ and when he goes out on work trips to other villages in the region, he would make me pack his bags with treats, lollipops and so, so that he could share out to them. He also had a passion for helping out senior citizens,” she recalled.

Apart from his wonderful personality, she said that Fredericks was a dedicated member of the Light House Assembly of God Church and was a part of the men’s ministry service. He was committed to seeking souls for Christ.

Reflecting on his work life, Dianna said that Fredericks began working with the RDC in 1983, and because of his dedication to his job, he was promoted to senior electrician of the Region and eventually became the chief electrician.

He had retired in 2015 but was recalled because, as Dianna puts it, “the RDC missed his presence” since he was a very hospitable man who would go all out to assist the Region in its preparations to welcome visiting government officials to Bartica.

“He would drive them around Bartica in his car; he was just very hospitable,” Dianna said.

Despite the many fond memories she has of her husband, the most cherished are the ones they made a few months before Fredericks was inflicted with COVID-19.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, Dianna said she began sharpening baking and cooking skills which she possessed for a very long time, and because of the lock-down then, her husband was home to assist.

“I used to cook but I never thought of using my skills to make money but Lennox, he was the one who encouraged me to start a catering business,” Dianna recalled.

The business quickly became a success, but just as their fairytale lifestyle together was about to get better, things took a turn for the worst in August 2021.

The entire family was infected with dengue and a few weeks later they were diagnosed with COVID-19. Both Dianna and her husband had to be hospitalised and were isolated from their children.

Somehow, Dianna recovered, but sadly Fredericks’ condition continued to deteriorate to the point that he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the COVID Hospital.

His church family and relatives prayed earnestly for his recovery and Dianna had hoped that God would answer their prayers. But by late August, doctors decided to sedate Fredericks who had been comatose for several days as they battled to save his life.

Interestingly though, on September 5, last year, Fredericks awoke and gave his family a video call from the hospital. Dianna recalled that this happened during one of their online prayer sessions. One of their sons, she said, answered and he related the news.

Baked pastries and delicious food available at Sunshine Corner, the catering business Dianna Fredericks was able to set up with the help of her husband

Dianna said that they felt happy because they were confident that God had answered their prayers and Fredericks would return home. But this was not to be.

“He video call us and he waved and blinked us and that was the last we saw him alive, ” recounted an emotional Dianna.

The news of his eventual demise was a lot to bear and continues to be a burden for the family. According to the woman, it has mainly been her business that the entire family has been depending on ever since Fredericks’ demise. She related that while her eldest son, Lennox Fredericks Junior, a teacher, was supportive, he is currently unemployed since his contract was not renewed.

Dianna revealed too that soon after Fredericks’ death, it was quite a challenge to retain customers. This, she said, was owing to their concerns about the infectious disease. But with the help of God and support from her church family, Dianna said that “things started to pick-up for her.”

The catering business, Sunshine Corner, has since been registered and with a little aid from the government, Dianna has since been able to expand it.

Dianna does not only provide catering services to various types of events in Bartica but she also sells electrical fittings, in honour of Fredrerick’s legacy as Region Seven’s chief electrician.

As Dianna works to grow her business, she is simultaneously tasked with comforting her children who, according to her, have been suffering emotionally since Fredericks’ passing.

“He was a good father and had spoilt them, he gave them vacations and went all out to provide for them and his passing has left a void that is hard to fill,” Dianna related.

Her intention is see her children are mannerly and contribute in a meaningful way to society, just the way their father intended.

Still mourning for their dear father are Lennox Junior, Lennart and Lenton – the three children Dianna shared with Fredericks – as well as their siblings Rockliffe, Rochel, Howard.