Lisa Garoy and her four-month-old son survived a shooting rampage last month which left the young mother paralyzed for life and her young son with a fractured hand. Doctors say the 23-year-old mother will never walk again but she still needs a life changing surgery, which is where you come in. Keith Swift found out more.
Keith Swift Reporting, [keithkswift@gmail.com]
Lisa Garoy is in the same place and condition we first met her four weeks ago: on a hospital bed, unable to move her lower body, and still in pain.
Lisa Garoy, Paralyzed
"I feel bad. I don't feel good because I had a pain in my foot everyday and it doesn't go."
Keith Swift
So it hasn't really gotten better?
Lisa Garoy,
"No it hasn't gone, everyday, every night, and I can't sleep."
Neurosurgeon Joel Cervantes has been treating Lisa since the gun tore through her abdomen on December 18th. These x rays show the damage done and he says
there is no medical solution for Lisa's paralysis. Dr Cervantes however says he can lessen the pain through what's called a fixation procedure.
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
"Lisa Garoy will never be able to walk again. One of the key factors right now is pain and that pain is in that condition because has a unstable spinal fracture. By stabilizing the spine, we can better the pain condition much more than she has right now. So we need to do a surgical procedure that is called a fixation procedure, whereby we need to put in some screws at the vertebrae above and below the fractured vertebrae, so we can stabilize her spine and she can rehabilitation after this."
So while Lisa might never be able to stand up, she will be able to sit up. Dr. Cervantes says it's an expensive but necessary procedure.
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
"She has already been here for approximately three weeks. It would be recommendable that she gets this surgery in the next three weeks. If you leave a patient in this condition it will be very pitiful and it will be unethical. This patient definitely needs this surgical procedure so that she can have her spine stabilized and so afterwards the experts in physical medicine and rehabilitation can teach her how to use her arms and give her rehab so she can strengthen the upper part of her body so she can sit appropriately and get about in a wheel chair or in a sitting position.
We can do this surgery here in Belize. The problem we have is the lack of materials, as such, that we don't have a company that manufactures or import it here into the country. So we've had a estimate of this material from one of our neighboring countries over the border. Just the materials, as such, cost approximately BZ$10,000. That doesn't include the cost of rehabilitation, the hospital fees, and so on. So this is a long procedure, the rehab as such, but just the minute part, the materials that we need for this surgery is $10,000 that we need for that."
Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money, at least more than Lisa and her family can afford. Her mother Cynthia Gentle says she just wants her daughter home.
Cynthia Gentle,
"Its very rough because I have to take care of the two kids, I have to come to hospital everyday to take care of her so its very rough and we would like the public to help with the donation and get the $10,000 to her up from out of this bed, at least. It doesn't if she cannot walk, I just want her to get up out of the bed and do normal things like we, the rest of the things. We think she will walk. We have hopes."
Keith Swift,
Lisa you still have hope?
Lisa Garoy,
"Yes, after the operation I think I will walk."
And that little hope is just about all this family has to cling on to.
Lisa's son Leroy Rhaburn Jr. has been discharged from the hospital and he is being cared for by his grandmother. Anyone wishing to donate to the family can do so through account number 210-6556-82 at Atlantic Bank. While Lisa remains in the hospital, her brothers Burton and Brent Garoy and the baby's father, Leroy "Red Ants" Rhaburn Sr., are in jail for a shooting which allegedly precipitated the Taylor's alley attack. 20-year-old Brandel Michael has been charged for the attempted murder of Lisa and her son.
Related Story
. Mother Paralyzed, Child Shot
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
