…Yogeeta Persuad’s mother recalls her daughter’s love for volunteerism 

By Indrawattie Natram

“My daughter was a determined child, she was never rude to anyone and she was very humble, she chased after her dreams,” said Devika Persaud , the mother of Yogeeta Persaud , the young Guyanese scholar who died suddenly in Peru on Sunday.

The family received the tragic news around 16:00 hrs on Sunday from a colleague of Yogeeta. She was the only daughter of her parents whom she last saw in May this year when she graduated from Stony Brook University.

During a visit to the family’s home at the village of  Zorg on the Essequibo Coast on Monday, many persons were on hand to offer words of comfort to the parents of the 22-year-old.

Her mother related that she last heard from her daughter around midday Sunday. She said two did not talk for a while but they would routinely message each other daily via social media platform Whatsap. Her last message was around midday on Sunday when she informed her mother that  she was at a clinic.

“What we understand is that she collapsed while at work, we don’t know much however we waiting on the autopsy,” her mother said.

She said Yogeeta was on a Government of Guyana scholarship when she met her demise. After graduating in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from Stony Brook University, she started eyeing medicine.

Yogeeta  began following her dreams  and during the summer break she joined the Stony Brook university team as a volunteer on medical outreaches. Her mother recalled too that in 2016 she went to Dominican Republic as a volunteer on a medical outreach.

Yogeeta accompanied the team on the two-week medical outreach to Peru as a volunteer and she was expected to return to the United States on August 16.

Her mother  said the young woman was determined to become a doctor and to assist persons.“She died while doing what she loves, maybe that’s the way she had to go back to the almighty, its hard, she was never a rude person, I always advised her that if she was angry just walk way, she was a very obedient child of mine,” the woman noted with sadness in her voice.

She said that her daughter always made the family proud.

In 2013 , Yogeeta was named the second top performer for Guyana at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and the Anna Regina Multilateral student  was adjudged the Most Outstanding Overall CSEC candidate that year by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) after achieving grade one passes in 18 CSEC subjects.

Persaud was also a top performer while at Stony Brook. Her father Takoor Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle that he could not believe the news when he heard of her sudden passing. He said that he is still trying to cope with the harsh reality and remain optimistic.

Former classmates and teachers also expressed shock at her demise.

One teacher Reshma Rai posted, “Yogeeta was 1 of my favourite Grade Two  students we share so much fun times like feeding you lunch and cuddling u when were sad . My tears cannot stop flowing for u my student. She has grown into such a beautiful and intelligent young woman. My sincere condolences to her parents extended families and friends. RIP Yogeeta Persaud.”

Apart from her studies the young woman was a member of the Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir mandir. She would visit whenever she was in Guyana and would seized the opportunity to perform ‘puja’ at the alter.

Her parents are awaiting the results of an autopsy and arrangements will be put in place to bring her remains back to Guyana for burial.