…as Christmas spirit glows
Richard Fresco, who has been bedridden for eight months following an accident at a sawmill, may benefit from the Christmas spirit this year as he, his mother, nieces and nephew have been promised a new home by a benevolent overseas-based Guyanese.
The man’s mother, Virginia Giddings, told Stabroek News yesterday that following the publication of her son’s story in this newspaper on Christmas Day she received a call from a pastor in the US who has promised to build the family a new home.
“He call and seh he would build a new house and how he wife coming soon to Guyana and she would visit us,” the woman said yesterday. She said that is one promise she would like to become a reality as the place the family calls home now, located at Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, is a small dilapidated shack that could collapse at anytime.
The woman said she also received several other calls from persons overseas who have indicated that they have sent the family monies through Western Union. She has been given the transaction numbers and numbers for the persons but would have to wait until today as no Western Union outlet was open over the long holiday weekend.
“Some people also promise to put money in Richard account…” the woman said. She said while the family is grateful for the assistance the most pressing of their needs is for Richard, 27, to get the medical treatment he needs which would hopefully give him the opportunity to walk again and for the family to have a place to really call home.
Stabroek News had reported that Richard, who lives with 66-year-old Virginia and his two nieces and a nephew, had always dreamt of taking care of his mother but his hopes were dashed earlier in the year following an accident at the sawmill where he worked. Since then he has been bedridden and his mother has been forced to take care of him and her grandchildren on her pension – she only received for two months for this year – and whatever assistance they receive from public-spirited persons.
Richard was employed as a labourer for one year but while offloading a truck he slipped and fell.
His employer-who only gave the family $12,000 to assist with medical expenses-told the man’s family that Richard was hungry and that the breeze blew him down.
He was hospitalised for several months with no assistance from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) as he did not qualify for benefits.
And even though the family is in dire straits Virginia told Stabroek News that the Christmas was “alright” for them as she was able to provide some goodies for her grandchildren on that special day. Virginia can be contacted at 650-0672.
