Family can’t afford to bury relative
Deceased has been at funeral home for more than a year
On August 21, 2019, 38-year-old Geovanni Bailey died tragically when a 20-inch tyre he was about to lift exploded.
The impact threw him several feet and he sustained multiple injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Since then, his body has been lying in Perry’s Funeral Home in Spanish Town. His brother Anthony Bailey said the family can’t afford to bury him.
“Due to the passing of my brother, I have been under severe pressure as I am the one charged with the responsibility for matters relating to my mother, who just got out of the hospital with a brain aneurysm and is presently living with me,” he told THE STAR.
Anthony says the cost is too high to bury Geovanni, even after a National Insurance Scheme grant cut down a $440,000 expense to a little more than $200,000.
ASSISTANCE
NEEDED
“We are clueless as to when Geovanni will be buried and my mom is getting worried, which is not good for her health. Also, my dad is having mental breakdowns as a result of my brother’s death. As such, there is need to bury my brother to ease the stress on family members, and I am asking for your assistance on the matter,” he said.
He said that he went to the funeral home about two weeks ago to get an invoice of the balance they owe.
“Now the balance is something over $200,000. It don’t seem like they are charging me for the one year the body has been there, and if they are, [it’s] not much,” he added, noting that he has not had any in-depth discussion with the funeral home as yet. Anthony said that his father does not have a pension and finds it hard to provide food for himself.
“An application for the burial grant is to be submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security,” Anthony said. He also said that he hasn’t heard anything from his brother’s employer regarding compensation. Meanwhile, Peter Perry, director of Perry’s Funeral
Home, says he is bearing with the family, as they relayed to him that they are in a rough financial situation.
“You have to work with people. The family told me they don’t really have it, so me affi just chip in and do what me can do to help them. Having the body for so long is not a problem. It’s properly embalmed, so no problem,” he said.
Anyone that can assist the Bailey family can contact Anthony Bailey at 876-529-6694.