On Sunday, January 8, a Punta Gorda man and his 3 year-old son became victims of a serious accident. Antonio Edwards was on the highway on Jacintoville Village, returning home from church when a flatbed truck barreled around a curve, and a length of rosewood lumber from it's cargo became dislodged.
The length of lumber struck Edwards on the leg and broke several bones in both his legs in several different places.
Edwards' 3 year-old child was flung from off his shoulder where he was carrying him; fortunately, he escaped the accident unharmed.
Edwards was airlifted from PG to Belize City to receive treatment at the KHMH, but according to his wife, Justina, who spoke to us via phone today, he was given a dress wrapping for the wounds and then sent home because they can't afford the surgery, which has been approximated at around $6,000. The problem is that the driver has not been forthcoming with assistance to pay this medical bill.
Justina Edwards told us today that her family is in distress because Edwards has been at home in severe pain, and her 4 children are without their father's financial support.
Justina Edwards - Wife of Antonio Edwards
"Right now my husband is in pain. My husband has a fever. Right now, my husband is lying on the bed, and my husband's toes are getting swollen. I'm concerned because I think the swelling is because he hasn't gotten the surgery. And right now, I really need him to get this surgery done. We don't have any money to take him back, but I am trying to ask for help or assistance from anybody who is hearing that I really need assistance, so that my husband can get his surgery. He is in pain; he has fevers in the night, and I don't know what to do next. His two feet are broken. One broke in six areas, and the other broken in five areas. One of the feet, the big bone broke in 2 pieces. It broke on the bottom, broke on the top. And the other one broke in the area of the big bone and small bone, that's the one that has 6 pieces, and up to right now, they only banded his feet and sent him home. He is on the bed right now suffering with pain and swelling too; He can't even turn nor do anything. It's been 2 weeks now since my husband is in pain at home. I went and asked the doctor, one of the doctors from here. He called Belize City, and he said that it's $6,000 for the surgery. I have children. He hasn't even come and said,'Okay, this is a box of groceries', or something like that to give my children. He didn't give any groceries, and I got 4 children. 3 are going to school. They need money to go to school. I don't know what to do again because they told me that even if I go through the courts, I am not going to get any money. That's what they told me yesterday."
Justina Edwards also told us that the owner of the truck which was carrying the rosewood cargo, has also spoken to another media house. According to her, he allegedly said that he has assisted the family with $4,000, which she says is false.
According to her, he has provided them with a little less than $2,000 which covered expenses to deal with taking care of the children, and other medical costs while Edwards was in the hospital.
Anyone who wishes to assist the family can call telephone number 663-8062.
Late tonight, we spoke to the owner of the truck, Rodwell Williams, who told us that from the time of the incident, he has been helping the family. He even said that he has documents which shows that she has signed for several amounts of money which amounts to more than $4,000 dollars.
Williams added that Justina Edwards came to him saying that Antonio needed surgery. He said that he paid for a doctor to go all the way to their home to check up on him. The doctor inspected the wounds and said that the legs do not need surgery because it is already healing.
According to Williams, the doctor added that if they press for surgery, the family would not have to pay anything for it, because the hospital would provide the service for free.
Williams ended by saying that if he will continue to provide the family with financial assistance.
