ST. LUCIAN Cub Scout Nick Omari Joseph, the eight-year-old who was knocked down on July 26 while participating in the Caribbean Cuboree, departed for home on Sunday with his mom, Delia Finistere.Joseph was seriously injured in that accident, sustaining a fractured skull and injury to his lung as a result of being submerged after being hit by the vehicle, and his condition in the first five days of his hospitalization was described as critical.

The accident occurred on Woolford Avenue in the vicinity of the Scout Association of Guyana (SAG) Headquarters.

Nine-year-old Darnell Matthews, the fellow St. Lucian Cub Scout who was also injured in the accident, was treated for minor injuries and sent away.

Quick action by a team of doctors had resulted in Joseph being stabilized within hours of the accident. He has since been recovering gradually.

Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry; President of the Scouts Association of Guyana (SAG), Chief Scout Ramsay Ali; SAG Chief Commissioner Zaida Joaquin; and friend of the Joseph family, Francisca Charles, were all at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle, ECD to bid Joseph and his mother farewell.

Joseph’s mother emotionally extended gratitude to all who played a role in his recovery, noting that she was extremely happy to be returning home with her son.

Minister Henry said she, too, was happy that Joseph’s condition had improved to the point that he is now able to return home. She said she was also pleased that the Cuboree continued without further incident after the unfortunate accident.

“We will continue to be in touch with Nick’s family, to the extent that we would like to be informed as to his full progress in recovery from this accident. I trust that the whole exercise here in Guyana was fruitful for all of the Scouts that participated from the various countries,” she said.

SAG President Ramsay Ali said the reaction from the Government of Guyana immediately after the accident was “extremely positive”; and this, he believes, contributed to saving the child’s life.

“To the doctors and everybody who were part of this whole process that brought us here: On behalf of the Scout Association, I am extremely grateful for their support, and I want to thank them,” Ali stated.

Ali said the surgery Joseph underwent for his head injury was very successful, according to the doctor who performed the procedure, but the injury sustained to his lungs were of more concern to doctors.

“What kept Nick in hospital for a longer period was in fact some damage that was done to his lungs, because he actually spent about three and a half minutes under water, and that was a little bit of a concern to doctors in the first five days. This was treated, and he responded very well,” Ali pointed out.

Ali emphasized also that Government had ensured that the best medical care was provided to Joseph.

SAG Chief Commissioner Zaida Joaquin, who was performing the duties of Camp Chief at the 14th Caribbean Cuboree at the time of the accident, said that while the incident was extremely unfortunate, it had served to bring the members of the scouting fraternity together.

LIVING AS FAMILY
“The positive is that, as a Scout Association…we all bond together as a family; and that is a positive, not only for Scouting, but for this country as a whole. We bonded together to make sure that Nick had the best care and that his mom had the best support. Scouting is really a family. If people can recognize that as Scouts we can live as family, I think all other human beings can live as family. Because of this process, I believe that is what held his mother up; because we were in daily contact with her, providing support, and also Nick…,” she pointed out.

Joaquin said she would be visiting St. Lucia in October to follow up on Joseph’s recovery in her capacity as a representative of the Inter-American Scout Region.

Joseph was among 1,000 Cub Scouts gathered in Guyana for the Cuboree at the time of the accident.