Imran Hassan and his father Naseer

“If it wasn’t for my father I don’t know what I woulda do,” Imran Hassan said from his hospital bed at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he has been for more than two months after surviving a two-hour long ordeal when the New Providence Bridge collapsed.

Hassan cannot walk and is confined to his bed. Only a few days ago he began to sit up for short periods of time but he has to be assisted by his father, who visits him religiously every day.

He sustained multiple burns on his legs from the blowtorch that was used to help free him from under a Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL) cement truck  on July 28 after the wooden bridge into New Providence collapsed. The truck was carrying some 20 tonnes of cement mix at the time.

Hassan told Stabroek News yesterday that he has already undergone two surgeries. Because he was squeezed under the truck his intestines were pinched and infected, requiring surgery. Skin was removed from his upper thigh and grafted to his right shin area. He is due for another skin graft some time next week.

Although he is grateful to be alive-another worker died in the accident- Hassan said the pain is unbearable sometimes. After the grafting he cannot let the affected area touch the sheets and so he has to keep his legs elevated, bent at the knee, which makes them stiff. “Is hard to straighten my feet, it hurts if ah try,” Hassan explains. He has lost a lot of weight; about 50 pounds his father estimates. The little toe on his right foot was also amputated because of severe burns. “Lying down in this bed sometimes I feel like I gon trip, it’s painful, only the other day I start to turn and so, all the time I had to lie on meh back,” he adds. He says that sometimes during the day he would get tired of lying down all the time and would ask his friends to “brace” him so he could sit for a while.

Meanwhile, his father Naseer Hassan told Stabroek News that it was a twist of fate that has him taking care of his son, who is supposed to be taking care of him. Every day he rides a bicycle from Eccles to the hospital to visit his son. He is grateful that his son is out of danger and hopes that he will be on the road to full recovery soon. “But I would continue to do everything for him,” he said, fondly rubbing his son’s head. “If his mother was alive it would have helped a lot… but I got to do everything,” he added.

Naseer Hassan also said he is grateful that TPL has continued to pay Imran’s salary every month and if he purchases any medicines the company refunds him for it and other medical expenses that are necessary. (Melissa Charles)