Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Randy Seepersad was born with deformed limbs, so his mother cared for him for most of his life. But now, in her twilight years, when she has become blind, their roles are reversed, and Seepersad finds himself caring for her in their dilapidated home, teetering on the brink of collapse.
The plywood house at Papourie Road, Diamond Village, San Fernando, leans precariously. The kitchen is at a perilous angle, making cooking impossible.
Randy, 55, said he fears that the wooden floors will suddenly give way, hurting his mother.
“I don’t like to see her suffer. She did so much for me, but living in this house is making it more difficult for her. This will fall anytime. Every time the breeze blows, the house shakes. If a truck passes, the house shakes. It is frightening for her,” he said.
On rainy nights, Seepersad said, they cannot sleep.
“The roof has holes as the galvanise is rotted, so everywhere leaks, and our beds get wet. I have to use bowls and buckets to catch the water from the roof. The floor gets slippery when it is wet. It is not easy for us,” he explained.
Their shared toilet, located downstairs, is a daunting challenge for Seepersad who has to assist his mother down the creaking steps.
“I don’t know how much longer this house will hold up. Every day we pray that it will not fall,” he said.
Because they can no longer cook, relatives bring them food three times a day.
“The fridge doesn’t work anymore. It’s leaning forward, and it could fall if anybody walks there. The cupboards break down, and they sink too. The posts under the house are leaning, and the boards are getting loose,” Seepersad said.
Getting a food card has been challenging, but Seepersad said he was grateful to his relatives who assist them with groceries.
Shirley Boysie said she went blind five years ago after being treated at hospital and is now totally dependent on her son.
“My two feet hurt because I have arthritis. I cannot see, and if it wasn’t for my son, I don’t know how I would manage,” she said.
A representative from the T&T Chapter of Disabled People International, Destar Dythe, is appealing to the public to help Boysie and her son.
Dythe said they were both upstanding members of the community who had fallen on hard times since Boysie went blind.
“Randy is the village sweetheart. He is always smiling and waving at his neighbours. From the road, the house looks fine, but when you come inside, you realise how bad it is and how easy it is for them to fall through the floor,” Dythe said.
She also called on Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox to provide some assistance to the family.
Anyone wanting to help Randy and his mother can call 767-6906 or 392-7004.
