On Monday night's newscast, we told you about the weekend shooting of 26-year-old Debby Clarke.
Sometime after 7:00 on Sunday night, the young mother was inside her home, in the Puerto Carrillo area of San Ignacio. She was attending to one of her children when she suddenly heard the sound of gunshots coming from nearby. She thought she heard the sounds of firecrackers, but shortly afterward, she found herself in serious pain. That's when she realized that she had been shot twice.
She was rushed to the hospital, and since then, the family has learned that the two bullets did very serious internal damage. One of the bullets hit her in the left hand, and it shattered the bones it struck when it made an impact. She also has 1 bullet lodged in her left upper shoulder, which needs to be removed.
These are expensive medical procedures, and in order for Clarke to begin her road to recovery, her family has to come up with $5,000 to cover the hospital bills.
This evening, we spoke via telephone with 1 of her sisters. She briefly discussed the shooting, and about the fund-raising events that her family is organizing to hopefully cover some of Debby's medical costs. Here are those comments:
Voice of: Anna Rivera, Sister of Shooting Victim
"It happened on Sunday night. She was in her living room. She was combing her daughter's hair when the incident happened. It sounded like fire crackers and when she heard it loud she got up and hide her kids and that's when she got shot on her arm. They are living in fear now, the children are very frightened, they are always crying. She have 3 children and they are all frightened. She also have her sisters living in the same yard - all of them are frightened about the situation."
Reporter
"Is she able to do anything with her left hand in terms of movement and mobility since the injury?"
Voice of: Anna Rivera, Sister of Shooting Victim
"She is unable to move. Only her fingers can move a little bit. At the moment she is home and she is in need of two surgeries. She has one bullet lodge in her upper left arm and the other on her radius. She is in need of a surgery to set back the broken bones. She will need an iron plate. One of her radius the bones are shattered, so that why she would need the iron plate set on her hands so the bones set back."
Reporter
"What is the expense that you guys are looking at to try to afford these surgeries for her?"
Voice of: Anna Rivera, Sister of Shooting Victim
"The expense is $5,000 for the two surgeries. Tomorrow September 12th, we are having a barbeque sale at midday at the Rivera's residence. We are having chicken $8.00 for the plate and we are having pork for $10.00."
The family is imploring residents of the Cayo communities to come out and support them in the barbecue sale tomorrow. You can get in touch with the family at the telephone number, 621-8221 to place orders, or discuss in what way you'd like to help Debby.
Also, financial contributions to afford her surgeries can be made to the Atlantic Bank account #, 211864482.
