A story in the Guyana Chronicle (January 26, 2011), captioned “Mother of 14 succumbs to bathroom snake bite”, caught my attention. It is indeed a sad story of a woman who met her death in the most unexpected manner—  bitten by a snake whilst taking a bath in her outdoor bathroom. Those of us who grew up in the countryside can better understand and appreciate the danger of being bitten by snakes. I recall several instances of being so close to being bitten by snakes that the mere thought of them often sends shivers down my spine. There is one particular incident that comes readily to mind. I had climbed a coconut tree a good thirty feet or so in height only to find, perching ominously  between the branches, a large snake. The snake was visibly aroused and seemed to get bigger. My instinct caused me to retreat calmly. Fortunately, I descended safely, much to my relief. That was, I believe, the last time I climbed a coconut tree.
In the case of Kushmattie, her death became all the more tragic because of the relatively large number of children that she left behind, with her youngest child just two years old. Fourteen children in contemporary Guyana is way above the average family size and it must have been quite a challenge to maintain and care for them all. The fact that 14 children would be motherless by virtue of her passing is indeed sad.
According to the Chronicle story, Kushmattie Sukdeo, 42, suffered the bite as she was about to take a bath in the yard where she lived at Kersaint Park, LBI, on the East Coast of Demerara. According to those close to her, Sukdeo was in the bathroom when she felt a stinging pain and tried to shake off the reptile even though she could not have seen exactly what it was since the bathroom had no light and as such there was very little visibility. She realized immediately that it must have been a snake and reported the incident to family members who attempted to treat the bite by way of placing a cloth around the wound. As the pain became more intense, she left to seek medical attention limping her way to the public road. Not realizing the severity of the bite, she declined assistance to be accompanied to the hospital.
According to media reports, by the time she arrived at the hospital she was already dead, though the hospital authorities tried their best to pump out the venom from her system.
Kushmattie’s story, unfortunate as it is, contains some important lessons for us all, regardless of where we live. The first is that we must never be too complacent when we go outdoors, especially when it is dark and visibility is poor. There is a tendency to believe that reptiles, in particular snakes, are uncommon on the coastland areas, but as Kushmattie’s incident demonstrated, this is not the case. Most people associate snakes and snakebites with interior and hinterland areas, especially when it comes to deadly and poisonous snakes.
The other lesson that must learnt is that we must not take bites for granted, especially snakebites. Sometimes we dismiss the bite as harmless but it could prove fatal if it is not dealt with expeditiously. Prompt medical attention must be sought. Doctors and medical personnel are trained to treat with snakebites and their attention must be sought.
Kushmattie would have been alive today if she could have afforded indoor toilets. Her death is one that has at its core the inability to afford basic amenities such as indoor toilets. The fact that she had so many mouths to feed must have compounded her problem. As to how she ended up having so many children in these modern times of family planning and birth control mechanisms, is another matter. My own view is that more people, in particular mothers, should take advantage of the services offered by the authorities to limit family size. Far too many children just happen to be in this world without adequate preparation for their physical and mental development.
While I am not suggesting that there be a policy to limit family size, as in the case of China,where the one-child policy is applicable, I believe that there should be more sensitization efforts to guide potential parents as to the benefits of having small families. This, I am aware, is a culturally sensitive matter; but I am of the view that bringing children to this world in an unplanned manner could have unpleasant consequences, for both parents and child. Countries like China and India, which together have close to a third of the world’s population, can afford to regulate population size. Guyana, on the other hand, is very much under-populated, but this does not in any way negate the need for family planning.
My thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased more particularly with the children. My hope is that they get over this tragedy as soon as possible and move on with their lives, with the help of family and friends.