“I need justice for my son” – Mother of Jaden Mars

Almost two years after the death of her four-year-old son Jaden Mars, his mother Natalie Casey is still seeking justice and trying to put the pieces of her life back together. The broken-hearted mother said that she was now forced to be in the eyes of the media once again as she was still waiting on answers.

Mars succumbed on December 10, 2013 while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital for an injured tongue. A post-mortem performed on the body of the four-year-old proved that he died from a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that had travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (pulmonary embolism). It has since been alleged that malpractice on the part of the medical workers who attended to the child at the time was the sole cause of his death.

The mother shared that when the post-mortem examination was being done, she had asked someone to bear witness to the process. She identified that person as current Public Health Minister George Norton, who she claimed told her that her son’s death was due to negligence and advised her to immediately take up legal action, which she went ahead with.

Casey noted that the case has since been concluded on the part of the Georgetown Public Hospital and was handed over to the Health Ministry. It is now before the Nursing and Medical Council. She further mentioned that the Council had indicated that persons were found to be negligent and responsible for her son’s death and disciplinary action would be taken against the said individuals.

The bereaved mother stated that there was still no word from the Council about the completion of its part. “I need the nurses and Medical Council to do their job and discipline the persons responsible and to be professional and call me or my lawyer and let us know that this is the action that was taken against the persons that were responsible for the death of my son.”

She added that if the Council could not do its job, the health system would never improve as no one was being punished for acts of negligence that endangered people’s lives.

Casey shared that she is still living in torment, as she cannot enjoy her life; she is waiting on persons to do their job so her son can receive justice.

Additionally, Casey shared that when the current Government was in Opposition, it had shared that her son’s case would be one of the first that it would look into if it got elected and would attempt to reach a monetary settlement with her.

She noted that the Government did make contact with her through Attorney Jaya Manickchand, and presented her with a settlement. However, Casey stated that the conditions of the settlement, which she did not disclose, were too much for her to agree to, although she responded positively to the settlement offer.

She had inquired if the conditions could be negotiated or removed. Casey noted that it has been about three months since, and she has received no word from the Ministry. Also while waiting on word from the Ministry, the mother shared that she had relaxed on her son’s case, and added that it was infuriating that these institutions were yet to do their part in this matter.

“If they are waiting on me to give up, I never gave up on my child when he was alive and I won’t give up on seeking justice for him now,” Casey declared. (jpinder@guyanatimesgy.com)