Paralysed

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE FAMILY of 72-year-old Coral Brissett is seeking monetary assistance for his repatriation to the United Kingdom (UK) after a “life-changing accident” at the entrance of his Jackson Town, Trelawny, home.

The elderly man’s daughter, Maxine, told The Gleaner that unfortunately, her father fell into the trench two weeks ago.

He is said to have suffered a fractured neck and has also been left paralysed from the waist down.

The trench, which, reportedly, was dug by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, has been the source of contention for many years, said Maxine.

The Jamaica-born Brissett is also a British national and is said to have served in the British Armed Forces for 50 years.

His daughter said he moved back to his home in Jamaica after retiring in 2016.

Maxine further explained that her father had journeyed to the Falmouth-based municipal corporation on multiple occasions to voice concerns regarding the potential danger posed by the trench, however, he was told that it was located on the Government’s land.

Maxine also told The Gleaner that her father’s “makeshift walkway” reportedly, was also removed by the local authority.

“The last couple of years, there has been a trench being dug outside of his property on the main road. It is, basically, the entrance to his driveway. He has been to the Trelawny Parish Council to complain because the trench was getting deeper and deeper,” said Maxine.

“He has been voicing concerns over the danger that this trench poses, but nothing has been done. The work that is being done has not been cordoned off, and there is no lighting to go on to his property,” she added.

According to Maxine, her family’s worst fears became their reality on March 23 after the elderly Brissett fell into the deep ditch.

“Dad had been out socialising, and he was on his way home. I am not sure exactly what happened, but he fell head down into this trench. It took five locals to get him out of the trench. They called a taxi, and they took him to Falmouth Hospital, where a CT scan was carried out. The CT scan showed that he fractured his neck in two places, and there is no movement below the waist,” she explained.

Brissett was later transferred to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where he has been hospitalised for two weeks.

His family has since launched a campaign on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe in hopes of raising funds to repatriate him to the UK.

“We have been making inquiries in regard to getting dad back to the UK because he is a British national. He doesn’t have any travel insurance, so he is not able to access medical assistance to get back to the UK,” she told The Gleaner.

“It is now down to the family to sort out that, but we are just ordinary people. We go to work, and we have our bills, so we don’t have access to that sort of funds. We can’t eat. We can’t sleep. We cannot focus on work. It has been so emotional and stressful. We have never experienced anything like this to be honest.”

At the same time, Maxine said that her family has seeking assistance for the elderly Brissett from all avenues.

“We don’t know what course of action to take for the best outcome. We are knocking on doors, and we keep getting the same response: ‘No’.”

Maxine said that her father’s health has declined, and he is no longer able to speak.

“Dad is loving. He is there for every one of us. He himself was trying to be strong and telling us not to worry, but I think he was just trying to put the best out. Dad couldn’t breathe unaided, so we had to send money for respiratory equipment to the hospital and a mattress for his bed because he can’t move, so he just lays there,” she said.

Maxine pointed out that their decision to take Brissett back to the UK for medical assistance is no indictment on the local health sector.

“We don’t know what the medical provision in Jamaica is like, so I am not trying to discredit the doctors because I know they are highly skilled and trained, but I think for us, as a family, it would be easier for dad to have his immediate kin with him. We will be able to be there with him daily to give support because he is out here on his own,” she told The Gleaner.

Attempts to obtain a comment from the Trelawny Municipal Corporation CEO Winston Palmer and Falmouth Mayor Collen Gager proved futile.

After initial contact, Gager requested that The Gleaner call him later. He did not answer subsequent calls or WhatsApp messages.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com

How you can help

Anyone wanting to assist the Brissett family can do so through their GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/a19d5bda.