She served the community as a Red Cross volunteer for 50 years. But when Avril Coleman needed help, her family says the same community turned its back on her. The 69 year old died from complications from diabetes on Sunday and since then her body has been lying in the morgue. It’s been there for 5 days because her family has been unable get the money to bury her. Here’s the story.
Teresa Watlow, Daughter of Deceased
“My mom volunteered most of her life as a red cross volunteer.”
And that’s why when 69-year-old Avril Coleman died on Sunday, the first place her daughter went to for help was the Red Cross.
Teresa Watlow,
“My mom was a very very committed person to the Red Cross. Many times she was on trips, she wasn’t really around us because she was out doing something for the Red Cross and it really hurt me to see that they didn’t have, which in I understand if the people they tell me that they don’t have the money and the people are not there who are the head but I was shocked that we couldn’t get the assistance which we wanted because my mom could have already be resting in peace.”
Teresa Watlow’s shock turned to disgust when she went to the Social security Board and
social department for help – she was turned down at both.
Teresa Watlow,
“We went to Social Security, that was the first place. We reached there and they told us that they couldn’t help us because our mom wasn’t paying no contribution to Social Security. We went to Social, we didn’t get any assistance. The worst part of it was when Social called and told me that they would take my mom’s body and bury her just like that if we didn’t do nothing and we didn’t know what else to do.”
Keith Swift,
You didn’t want your mom to be buried in that rough box.
Teresa Watlow,
“No I mean who would want their mom to be buried like that.”
This morning Teresa called in on two radio talk shows. She is getting some financial assistance to bury her mom but she still needs more. She is still speaking out because she says this shouldn’t happen to anyone else – at least not to anyone like her mom who dedicated 50 years to the community.
Teresa Watlow,
“Those places need to help people better than what they are doing.”
Red Cross gave the family $200. Red Cross President Karen Diaz is out of the country and couldn’t be reached for comment. The family also initially received $250 from UDP standard bearer in Lake I Vandley Jenkins. After she called into the talk shows this morning, Teresa Watlow says she received calls from both Social Security and Lake I Area Representative Cordel Hyde. Both have given the family assistance but they still don’t have enough. They hope you can help to bury their mom on Sunday and if you can help – you can contact the family at 668-9767.
