UPDATE: Mother upset at progress in child’s eye injury investigation
According to Ms Liburd, this week marks one month since the alleged injury occurred at the school and she expressed that she has received no answers from the many avenues that she has tried.
She related that the child has since seen a medical doctor in St Thomas, USVI and noted that her son will now require surgery, “The doctor said that it is not a draft, it’s not a sty… somebody hit him in the eye.”
He is scheduled to have the operation performed on February 11, 2014 and Ms Liburd explained that she does not have the necessary finances to cover the expenses. “The surgery costs $2000 that I do not have… it’s hard for me,” she stated.
She noted that although the redness has decreased in the child’s eye, the injury is becoming worse, “sometimes I feel like I want to give up but it’s my child and I can’t give up.”
“The first time they kicked him and it slide and I had to go up and down to business places for my child to get money to go to Puerto Rico,” Ms Liburd protested.
“Nobody knows what I’m going through and people are talking about things they don’t know talking about [I] need to tell the truth,” she added.
Ms Liburd related that she also spoke with Minister for Education Hon. Myron V. Walwyn and was informed that a report was done on the matter but remains frustrated at the lack of answers.
This news site was unable to confirm the status of any investigation into the matter from Education officials up to post time.
The mother related that all she is seeking from the matter is answers and nothing has been forthcoming despite the assurances she has received from various persons.
Ms. Liburd appealed for any form of assistance or support that can be rendered to her in assisting her son to get medical attention and can be reached on 1-284-343-3581.
See previous story posted January 16, 2014:
A mother cries for help as autistic child's eye deteriorates!
- Child’s eye was injured at EHRLC, alleges no explanation from school principal or Dept. of Edu.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – The mother of a differently able child, who also suffers from autism, is calling for assistance for her child who suffered an injury to one eye while attending the Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre (EHRLC).
Kascen Liburd related her story with Virgin Islands News Online, after her efforts to secure answers from the school’s head Ms. Vansittart Huggins and the Ministry for Education and Culture, have not yielded any results to date.
Ms. Liburd said that last week Wednesday January 8, 2014, her child, Khalil Liburd returned home with an injury under the eye, one which was very noticeable from some distance.
Asked about what had happen, she said that the child alleged that he was injured by a peer while at the EHRLC. Contact was immediately made with the Head of the Centre, Ms. Huggins, who Ms. Liburd alleged had not been forth coming with a proper explanation.
"She (Ms Huggins) told me that looks like a draft in the eye. If that is a draft why would the doctor send me to Eureka?" questioned the single parent mother.
She also took her child for medical interventions at the Peebles Hospital where doctors were unable to provide the necessary treatment and referred her to Eureka.
The frustrated mother said that since receiving the referral to Eureka lab, she has been unable to go due to lack of the necessary finance and in the meantime, her child's eye continues to deteriorate.
The mother said that this is not the first time her child was injured while at the EHRLC. “This not the first time, the first time he was kicked in the testicles and had to stay in the hospital for two weeks and I had to rush him to Puerto Rico."
There were other times when the child would go home with other minor injuries which the mother said she never bothered to make an issue of.
The single parent woman said that she has since reported the most recent incident to the Family and Juvenile Department which has promised to investigate the matter.
The matter was also allegedly brought to the attention of Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn who this news site was unable to reach for confirmation.
Contact was however made with a senior officer of the Department of Education who insisted that her name not be published. She said that she was not aware of the incident but will be taking actions to get to the bottom of the matter will make her findings known to this news site.
"Sometimes it makes me cry because I wonder why my child. I can't say I would go out to a full time job because I have to look after my child," said the mother almost in tears.
The mother is appealing for swift actions to be taken in the interest of saving her child's eye. Ms. Liburd welcomes any form of assistance or support that can be rendered to her in assisting her son to get medical attention. Ms. Liburd can be reached on 1-284-343-3581.
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51 Responses to “UPDATE: Mother upset at progress in child’s eye injury investigation”
VINO, thanks for bringing this to our attention, and please keep us posted.
Is equally responsible for your child's welfare.
I say this because your lament is focused on ministers and the public. Perhaps your husband needs to know that he is also responsible to pay for the surgery.