A once healthy young man who was hard-working and dedicated to his family, have been reduced to nothing more a despaired crippled individual whose life is literally stuck on a bed – all because of a wrong injection.

(NOTE: A number to contact his relatives is at the end of this article)

For four long years, anguish and despair are what the Family of Mr Paul Emptage of New Settlers Street Mocha Arcadia, has been enduring, with almost no resolve in sight.

Even so. His frustrated family members are desperately looking for answers to a mystery worthy of a spot on the popular unsolved mystery television series. A misery that started days after the energetic and ambitious Paul, as he was described by family members, ventured to the interior to seek employment.

Emptage had left for the interior after he was finding it difficult to get a reasonable paying job in Georgetown. Hence, his first interior stop was at Mahdia with his Mother Ms Jean Emptage to seek employment.

Fortunately for him, he landed a job in Mahdia as a Pork-knocker for a private businessman who operated a gold Dredge in the ‘bush’. It was there that tragedy struck.

According to the bed-ridden ex-miner, he was working the dredge when what was described as a wire rope became loose and struck him on the leg. After the impact, he recalled that the pain was manageable enough to the point that he continued working after the incident. The injury was in fact deemed to be a minor dig with light bleeding.

But it wasn’t until later that day as the pain continued he was sent by his superiors to seek medical attention at the Mahdia District Hospital.

At that point, Paul said he still had full mobility.

While at the Mahdia District Hospital he was administered an injection and discharged into the care of his mother who was contacted earlier. He then decided to get some rest since he had planned to go out with his mother the said evening.

However, Emptage told the Guyana Guardian that when his mother rouse him from his sleep for him to get ready for their plan evening out, he realized he could not walk.

Alarmed at this, he reportedly called a friend to take him back to the Mahdia District Hospital and had to be lifted to the car. He was reportedly given another injection, which apparently made the situation worse, since at that time he was no longer able to even bathe himself.

He was then transferred the following day to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he summoned his sister Kerrian Emptage also of Mocha to attend to his interest at the Hospital.

When he arrived at GPHC he was admitted to the Emergency Unit for several days since they could not find a diagnosis. His aunt Rosalyn Caeser related that when he originally arrived at the GPHC he could have moved his upper body but his legs were the only issue at that point.

He was later transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) at the GPHC, where doctors conducted several tests including a Computerized tomography or as it is commonly referred to as a (CT)scan, in addition to a Magnetic Resonance Imaging or an MRI, while a test of fluids from his spine was reportedly sent to Canada in an effort to issue diagnosis.

But even then, the doctors were still unable to determine what was his complaint and simply decided to treat him for isolated symptoms until such time that they can make a formal diagnosis. He was reportedly then tested and treated for Guillain Barre Syndrome a rare condition that usually leads to paralysis.

Despite the treatment, family members say that Paul’s condition began to worsen as he was by then feeding from his nose since he could not use his upper extremities.

When family members inquired they were told that Paul had fallen into a coma.

However, as time elapsed and test were exhausted to no avail the doctors decided that they cannot continue to keep him at the institution.

According to one of his aunts, a doctor Cole who is a specialist at the GPHC explained that without a diagnosis there really wasn’t much that they can do for Paul, and would be forced to discharge him.

He was subsequently discharged on a stretcher, and has remained paralyzed since the discharge.
His aunt Roselyn Caesar explained that it was her sister Ms Jane Emptage, with whom Paul resides in Mocha Arcadia, and who had to assume the role of a Nurse overnight as she recalled an incident where she (Rosalyn) almost collapsed when she looked upon her nephew in his condition.

He had developed what she described as a gaping hole in his back while he was in the hospital and several bed sores. He could not move and as a result since his bones seemed to be grafting together and he was losing weight rapidly. He has also developed a speech impairment which makes it difficult to communicate with him.

She told this publication that her nephew could not even feed himself. As a matter of fact, because of his lack of mobility, he had to be issued a foley catheter that is attached to his penis to drain his bladder. She further explained that the foley has been in there for so long, approximately four years, it had to be removed and replaced several times. This she fear has resulted in damages to his genitals; – damages that she is worried may not be reversible even in the event that he recovers.

Interestingly, even after his discharge, his aunt reiterated that her nephew would be constantly in an out of the hospital for various operations tests and checks but all to no avail.

He was taken back to GPHC post his discharge for an operation in 2016 because he had developed “stoppage of water.” This stoppage of water resulted in the swelling of his stomach and doctors had to place a tube in his stomach for the purpose of the operation.

After the operation that Paul’s Family realized that the tube inserted into his stomach was inadvertently left there.

The Guyana Guardian has seen an X-ray photo clearly showing the foreign object in Paul’s stomach.

To this date, the tube has not yet been removed.

Paul’s aunt told the Guardian that she spoke to a friend within the medical system that advised her that the tube left in her nephew’s stomach poses a treat for further compilations considering his already fragile state. The Emptage family is reportedly still working with the staff of the GPHC to determine an appropriate time and date and time to have this issue corrected.

The visibly distraught woman added that it has been hard on everyone in the family and it has been one issue after the other all stemming from the one tragic incident.

Nonetheless, the Emptage family is still bonded together and has formed a proverbial shield for their relative, as they continue to search for a better resolve for his tragedy.

But then again, there is only so much that they can do with the resources that are currently available. As such, they are pleading for any help that can be provided by anyone in the public to aid them in their quest to restore their young relative’s life back to some form of normalcy.

Ms. Rosalyn reported that his family has to purchase Gauze for the cleaning of the bed sores, pampers and a number of ointments including iodine among other things, all of which usually costs a fortune each month.

She said that the family will continue to support him in whatever way they could but at the moment they are feeling lost. She described her nephew as constantly suffering and is pleading for any assistance to have him restored to his old self.

According to family members the young man that has never even suffered from the common cold or flu and has no, known, terminal or prolonged illness so this is indeed baffling.

Even so, Paul remains alert. This was evident when a light-hearted joke between the ailing Paul Emptage, his brother Adam Emptage, who has also moved to town from Mahdia to assist, a cousin by the name of Jermaine Emptage and the young man brought smiles to the faces of everyone present at what was an otherwise solemn occasion.

Despite the fact that her nephew is suffering, his aunt Rosalyn Caesar says that this is not about casting blame even though she and many of her family members are of the impression that the injection administered to her nephew at the Mahdia District Hospital may have resulted in these prolonged injuries.

The family is way past that and now aim to seek more effective assistance in their quest to make Paul, whole again.

To help Paul, or to contact his relatives, please reach out to Ms Rosalin Caesar at: 697-7918

For more on this story go to: https://www.guyanaguardian.com/wrong-injection-leaves-man-crippled-for-life-family-pleads-for-help/