– underwent emergency brain surgery
THREE-year-old Amanda Sankar, who underwent emergency brain surgery on Wednesday, after falling through a window at her parents’ home at Unity, Mahaica, is recovering favourably at the Pediatric Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). When visited at the ward yesterday, the child was surrounded by family members who were repeatedly giving God thanks and praise for saving her life, while also thanking the doctors and other medical staff at both the Mahaicony Hospital and the GPHC who, at every turn they said, acted promptly, efficiently and dedicatedly in carrying out their duties.

Her parents, Roopnanan Sankar, also called ‘Glen’ and Ahalia Ramdatt who spoke with this newspaper, overwhelmed with emotions, said the moments immediately following the child’s injury were most traumatic, but they immediately called on the name of the Lord and ‘got results’. They are members of the Elim Pentecostal Church at Unity, East Coast Demerara.

Relating how events unfolded, Glen recalled that he and his wife Ahalia, who are both vendors, set out for work very early Wednesday morning, as they would usually do, leaving their five children at home – the elder ones with specific responsibilities.

He said that while on his way to Melanie Damishana where he does fish vending, he received a call on his ‘cell phone’, from home, informing him that their three-year-old Amanda (the youngest of five), had fallen through the window. It was around 6:00 hrs when she was standing on the bed near a window.

She leaned against a curtain, the rod snapped and she fell through the window, landing about seven to eight feet below.

Firmly grounded in his faith, Glen recounted: “When I got the message, I started applying the blood of Jesus and believing God for victory over the situation.” The information was, soon after, communicated to his wife who was heading in another direction.

He said he hastened back home and rushed the injured child to the Mahaicony Hospital. “They immediately did an X-Ray, then sent her on to the Georgetown Public Hospital, and I came along with her too,” he recalled.  On arriving at the GPHC, the doctors immediately went to work and a brain scan was ordered.

It was discovered that Amanda had suffered a fractured skull; there was massive internal bleeding and that the brain was literally resting on a portion of the skull.   

She was admitted to the main operating theatre around mid afternoon Wednesday and thereafter, everything happened ‘like clock-work’.  Apart from restoring the brain to its correct position, the doctors punctured one side of the head to drain the ‘bad blood’ accumulated in the brain cavity.

From theatre, the child was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and, having shown positive signs of recovery, was transferred to the Pediatric Ward on Thursday. By Friday she began recognizing persons around her, and uttered her first words. Yesterday, she began taking liquid foods.

Overwhelmed with joy after tragedy, Glen said he couldn’t find sufficient words to thank God and the doctors. “I must commend the doctors. They have done a great job for us. They all did what they had to do with speed, wisdom and the right attitude. We really thank God for them,” he declared.

Glen said he shudders to think what would have become of his child if she had to be taken to a private hospital. “I am very glad they were able to do the surgery at this hospital, because we are very poor. We are fish vendors and would not have had the money to take her to a private hospital,” the deeply appreciative father said.

Amanda will remain in the Pediatric Ward for the next few days where her progress will be closely monitored, before she is discharged.