Young man left with broken leg, broken dreams and clinging to hope
By Sasha-Gay Lobban
Nigel Chambers is promising young entrepreneur and father whose career as a mechanical engineer was put on hold because of a tragic accident in June last year which left him unable to work.
Seven months later, Mr Chambers, a 25-year old young man of Jacks River, Oracabessa, St Mary is left with a broken femur ( thighbone) after he was a victim in an accident in June last year, which left one woman dead, while a few other persons including students were hospitalized.
The accident took place on, June 27 last year along the Boscobel main road, leaving Jody-Ann Silvera dead.
Chambers was travelling in a Toyota Corolla motorcar with a friend when a truck which was allegedly speeding, hit a public passenger bus which then collided with the car in which he was travelling.
Mr Chambers says since the accident, he has had two surgeries, spent thousands of dollars and is required to visit the hospital every two weeks. He says since the accident it has been extremely difficult as all his savings were spent on medical bills and prescriptions. He added that what is even more difficult is that he is unable to provide adequately for his 16-month-old son for whom he is the sole breadwinner. “It very rough because some things that I want to buy for my son I cannot afford to anymore because all my savings were spent on my injury,” he told the North Coast Times.
Mr Chambers is a mechanical engineer who operated his own business in the Ocho Rios area. He sold car parts and carried out mechanical work on vehicles before the accident. He says he was able to make enough money to provide for his family of his adopted mother, girlfriend and child but is now unable to do so effectively. Mr Chambers now walks with a limp and crutches for support.
“Mi cyah work again because of the pain and I’m hardly healing,” he says. He said that in October last year; he had to undergo an emergency surgery because a metal splint that was placed in his hip, as part of his treatment, was poisoning his body. “Every week mi go doctor and they kept giving me anti-biotics for infection and could not tell me what was happening to my body.” He said his hip was continuously swollen and the pain was always intense.
Mr Chambers said the emergency surgery was a scare because he thought he was getting better but was instead deteriorating rapidly. “Right now mi just holding on to hope that the emergency surgery was helpful and it will not get any worse. I have my son to take care of and he is all I’m concerned about,” he said.
Nigel now lives with his aunt, girlfriend and his son. He sells phone cards and sells some car parts that he had left from his business, to pay for medication every two weeks. He also relies on his friends and his brother for monetary support. “Right now, I have a car part left that I am on my way to sell to buy more medication,” he said. He says he spends up to $6,000 dollars every two weeks on medication alone.
Nigel is currently pursuing an insurance claim but says he was advised by his lawyer, Vernon Daley that he is unable to get any type of compensation at the moment until he is through with the hospital treatment and bills. He has undergone severe therapy sessions to assist him in walking. Nigel is however very optimistic and says he is doing the best he can for his son whom he adores. “I didn’t have my father around and it’s important to me to ensure my son is alright. He is the only one I care about because I want to be able to provide for him and be a good father.”
