Thirty years of pain
Since May 31, 1986, Simone Campbell has been struggling to relieve her son, Ricardo Graham, of the pain inflicted on him by the fire that destroyed her home that day and disfigured him for life. Having groomed him through the teasing and the odd stares while he was growing up, Campbell never thought that the fire that gave her then four-year-old child third-degree burns would still have an effect on him 30 years later. “He has been going to the hospital from then, but about five years ago, a new problem developed, where him having this high fever, and when we do the CT scan, it was revealed that it was a kidney infection,” Campbell said. She told THE STAR that according to the doctors, the deep burns her son suffered more than 30 years ago were causing his current illness. The kidney infection causes Graham to be wearing a catheter, which needs to be changed every six weeks.
Campbell said that each time they go to change the catheter, it costs her a significant amount of money, and since she has become unemployed, it has been taking its toll.
“Right now, I owe UWI, and each time him go up there is how much thousand dollars him haffi pay,” Campbell said. “I only get part-time work these days.”
She said that Graham is not in a position to help himself as his doctors have ordered him not to do any heavy lifting.
“He normally do odd jobs and play music, but right now, he is not doing anything,” Campbell said.
Graham, quiet but affirmative, said that even though he was jeered while going to school, his charismatic personality always won people over.
“In the beginning, they always say mean stuff, but after a while, when they realise that I am normal, then they turn around,” Graham pointed out.
Campbell is asking the public for assistance. Those who wish to help Campbell and her son can contact them at 1-876771-9947.