-expresses gratitude to school vendor who motivated him to learn

By Jeune Bailey Van Keric
THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Corporal, Dominique Gonsalves Sabola, who recently helped a Timehri woman to deliver her baby, has two similar success stories under his belt.

In 2021, he played an integral role in the delivery of babies at Timehri and in Region Seven.

Despite his many skills, Corporal Sabola, a Grade Two Medic attached to the Medical Centre at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri, has his eyes set on becoming an obstetrics nurse, who is a registered nurse responsible for providing care to women during pregnancy and childbirth.

Since enlisting in the GDF in April 2013, Corporal Sabola, who has a passion for the sciences, has completed several training programmes.

These include the Grade Three and the Grade Two Medical Assistant Courses, in 2014 and 2019 respectively and the Junior Leaders’ Course in 2018. He has also completed Infectious Disease and Combat Life Saver training as well as Self Aid and Buddy Care with the United States Southern Command.

He is one of the army’s frontline medical personnel serving in the interior of Guyana.

In a social media post on February 3, 2022, the GDF disclosed that on January 28, Donica Hunte of Hyde Park, Timehri, visited the Medical Centre, complaining of labour pains. She was later prepared for transport to the hospital by Corporal Sabola, who was assisted by Lance Corporal and Grade 3 Medic, Sheena Christian-Waithe.

“We prepared her and had started the journey to the Diamond Hospital. Just a few minutes into the journey her water bag [burst] and the baby was ready to come. I did the delivery and then we took our time and continued the journey to the hospital,” he recounted. The baby boy was delivered at approximately 18:44hrs.

Thereafter, the mother and baby were handed over to the nurses of the Maternity Ward at the Diamond Hospital in good health.

On his Facebook page, the officer emphasised that the successful delivery was the result of a team effort, “that made the dream work.”

The ambulance driver, Keon King, as well as Lance Corporal Christian-Waithe, who had insisted on being Corporal Sabola’s travelling companion, were praised for the respective roles they played that day.

“During the journey from Timehri, I had to stop somewhere on the East Bank to do the delivery. Everything was safe and I continued my journey to [the] Diamond Hospital where I handed over a healthy baby boy and his mother to the authorities,” he added.

In another post, he recalled that on November 16, 2021, as he was preparing to take a bath, a young man ran into the army camp calling for assistance, as his wife was in labour.

“I quit the bathing and prepare[d] myself for an emergency mode. My requisites [were] ready, so off I ran down the red ground at Timehri through a short cut down a hill,” he said.

The baby girl was successfully delivered at 06:45hrs, and by 07:00hrs, the newborn and her mother were at the Diamond Hospital.

Sabola’s first delivery was done on January 9, 2021 at Tshau Creek, Kaikan, in Region Seven, at 05:46hrs. The mother of the child is 35-year-old Yancelis Diaz, a Venezuelan.

THANKFUL
Meanwhile, Corporal Sabola on Thursday detailed some of his life struggles during an online interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

He spoke of not having anything to eat many days. It was a vendor, who sold near the fence of his alma mater, Tutorial Academy Secondary School, in New Amsterdam, Berbice, who ensured that he had something to eat every day during those five years.

“Plenty days, I had nothing to eat in school due to the fact that my father never showed up. It never [stopped] me from learning and putting my best foot forward. To that lady by the name of Michelle of Second Scheme, Stanleytown, who use[d] to sell at the Tutorial Academy Secondary School …by the fence… I want [to] thank you for feeding me for those five years in secondary school, even though most days I had no money,” Corporal Sabola said.

He added: “After completing my secondary education, I acquired several subjects inclusive of Human and Social Biology and Integrated Science. I applied to be enlisted to join the Guyana Defence Force, and Captain Nellon Mc Kenzie was the recruitment officer…due to my science qualifications I was placed into the Medical Corps . I aspire to become an obstetrics nurse.”

He expressed gratitude for having been given the opportunity to serve in the GDF, particularly at the Medical Corps.