Accident victim remains paralyzed
Some time late last Saturday night three friends, all members of the Belize Family Life Association, were on their way to Punta Gorda. But as their vehicle approached the Gales Point junction on the Coastal Road, the driver lost control and the Landrover turned over several times. Eighteen-year-old Ellion Augustine was thrown out of the vehicle and critically injured. Today, as he prepared to be transferred from the KHMH to a hospital in Merida, News 5’s Jacqueline Woods spoke to the family.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The last time the public saw eighteen year old Ellison Augustine, a young member of the Belize Family Life Association, was in this video, promoting safe sex .Today, Augustine remains paralyzed at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
Maureen Dawson, Sister
?It?s really difficult at this point. We never expected anything like this to happen. I mean nobody does really. Everyone is trying to pull their resources together to be there emotionally for the other person. But it?s been rough.?
Augustine, who suffered major spinal cord injury, is unable to breathe on his own and is presently being assisted by a machine. Although the family remains hopeful, their loved one(s prognosis for a full recovery is poor. KHMH medical chief of staff, Doctor Fernando Cuellar, says because of the extent of the injury it is very uncertain if their patient will walk and breathe on his own again.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar, Medical Chief of Staff, KHMH
?Unfortunately, we have Ellion here with a spinal cord injury, which has left him paraplegic and with difficulty breathing. So his condition is ofcourse serious because he needs the aid of machines or a ventilator to assist him to breathe. So it is considered serious. The prognosis unfortunately is poor for him to recover fully.?
Because the medical service is not available in Belize, On Saturday, Augustine will be air ambulanced to Merida where he will undergo an intensive examination, including magnetic renosance imaging, to tell doctors just how badly the spinal cord was injured.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
?Because the Catscan has only shown us that the bones in the neck have been broken, but it doesn?t reveal the extent of the spinal cord injury.”
Jacqueline Woods
?Once he gets this examination, is there any guarantee that KHMH will be able to assist him in any kind of recovery once her returns??
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
?Unfortunately, data with spinal cord injury at KHMH, at Houston or
at any hospital through the world is very poor in regards to recovery.
Spinal cord injury: the most noticeable example is Superman, Christopher
Reeve, which we all have heard about. The injuries for it unfortunately
are not easily fixable–so to speak–if any at all.?
At the time of the accident, Augustine was not wearing his seatbelt. Today his sister, Maureen Dawson cautioned drivers and passengers to buckle up.
Maureen Dawson
?Well you know every time an accident happens, people repeat the same thing over and over and I want to do the same to say how important it is to wear your seatbelts. I personally make sure that I do because you never know; you can be saving your life. So it?s very important to always wear your seatbelt. He wasn?t wearing his.?
The family has been holding a number of fund raising drives to help raise the money it will take for Augustine to receive the care he needs.
Maureen Dawson
?The thing is that even though we are coming up with the money to get him out of the country, when he comes back, we still need to funds to continue treating him. SO we just want to appeal to the people out there. You know a lot of people know me. I work at CBC cable so they can call me with orders for food if they would like to and we would deliver it and we?ll see how that goes. But we are still appealing to people to continuegiving contributions because we need the money. It?s a lot of money right now. We are looking at six thousand dollars just to get him out here along with the examinations and to get him back; and when he comes back we have to start treatment immediately.?
The family says although Augustine is unable to speak well, he is conscious and is aware to a certain extent what happened to him. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
An account has been set up at the Bank of Nova Scotia. If you would like to help, you can make your financial contribution to account number 913-3026. Meanwhile the BFLA will be holding a barbeque sale on Saturday in front of their headquarters to also raise funds for their young member.
