As we told you earlier, two men were charged today for the shooting
on Monday evening on Central American Boulevard which left two adult males with
minor injuries, one female child with severe injuries and one man dead. But
that charge probably brings no closure to the families of the dead and injured.
19 year old Dorrell Williams Jr.’s family is preparing to bury him on
Monday while Janay Moguel’s family is grappling with the tough issues
arising from her very serious spinal injury. The seven year old Standard One
student is still in the intensive care unit at the Belize Healthcare Partners
Limited tonight where the news is not at all encouraging. I spoke to her doctor
today.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Seven year old Janay Moguel is asking why she still has no feelings in her legs
it is a tough question to answer. How do you tell a child who has always been
filled with life, love to run and play with her cousins and friends that there
is a chance she will never walk again?
Dr. Joel Cervantes, Neuro/Spine Surgeon
“She is a very direct child. She remembers me very well. I think she
doesn’t like the fact that, she blames me, I don’t want to use the
word blame but she says I cut her and she doesn’t want to fell the pain
of the cut and she is asking for answers. I have asked the family at this point
to actively massage, mobilize her arms and her legs, and they do it and the
first thing she says is I don’t feel it and mommy why doesn’t my
leg move. So you feel a knot in your throat and I am trying to explain to her 
as best as possible in terms that she could understand but not trying to kill
her spirit.
If we kill her spirit and her will to fight then the battle will be lost
for her to recover feeling and movement in the left arm and both legs. So I
have to be careful and I have to hold back a little bit with Janay personally
because of her age and what she can really understand although she is not a
fool and she is aware. She has asked me when will she be able to play with her
two little cousins and it is answer I cannot give her. It is not a nice feeling
but I am hoping there is going to be improvement, I am hoping when she starts
the therapy, that there is going to be some response.”
Today when I visited with neuro and spine surgeon Dr. Joel Cervantes at Belize
Healthcare Partners Limited he says while the wound to the spine looks clean
and there is no longer draining of residual blood from the spine, Janay is still
unable to feel and move her legs and left arm.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“What is your concern about her paralysis?”
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
“That it could be something permanent and the factors that she has
for her are her youth and that I think she has a very supportive family. There
has been some community support and we are looking at as soon as perhaps by
today we might be able to get her out of the intensive care setting into what
we call intermediate care which is a step down; we have intensive and step down
to intermediate care and then you step to the general ward. So we’re planning,
if everything goes as planned, by this afternoon to have her in intermediate
care and hopefully by Monday, Tuesday at the latest, we’ll have her in
the general ward.”
Dr. Cervantes says from a scientific point of view there is a slim chance that
his young patient’s life will return to normal. He remains hopeful that
Janay will able to recover movement in her left arm and both legs.
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
“We are starting to look at the possibility of getting her to appropriate 
and as advanced physical rehabilitation therapy, occupation therapy, as possible
and we even have an angle that is researched right now on the possibility of
getting her out of Belize where there are more advanced modalities with respect
to rehabilitation therapy.”
Dr. Cervantes says if Janay Moguel is unable to regain movement in her left
arm and both legs that at least she will be able to recover well enough the
use of her left arm which would be a great victory for Janay, the family and
the medical staff at Belize Healthcare Partners Limited. Janay’s parents
Marvin and Ruth have been struggling with their daughter’s medical prognosis
and are relying on prayers for a miracle.
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
“I think they understand very clearly what the injuries are. There
is a certain amount of confusion at the same time and I think this has put their
lives upside down. From what I’ve been able to look and analyze they are
just regular normal working class people and they have a lot of love and affection
for their child. They are there, all the family is there, and even though I
have an obligation to speak from a scientific view and to say things just the
way I am seeing them, they still have hope that is bigger than what I can offer
them from a scientific point of view. So I am not going to take that away from
them, that based on religious belief, the family support, and the fact that
she is young, they are willing to try any and everything for Janay to get back
as much of the movement and feeling as possible.”
But while at this point Janay Moguel is not being told about the possibility
of not walking again there will come a time when she will need to be told.
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
“We have to agree of course with the family members, if they are people
of a certain faith we always respectfully have to speak with whatever head of
religion or pastor or Minister of word so that you tell the patient things the
way they are and of course we always see the cases that go beyond scientific
explanations, you can call them a miracle. I’ve seen them, haven’t
been able to explain them from a scientific point of view, and you at least
want to leave that instilled in the child, that if she tries real and she sets
her mind to it, there is a lot that she will be recover.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Whenever someone goes through such a trauma there are different levels
before you recover or come to the acceptance that this has happened. Where is
everyone right now?”
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
“I think that the grief of her having been injured has finally passed.
I think they are in denial at this point of what the reality of the situation
is. I haven’t seen the family members in a rage but they are in denial.
They are pretty calm but they are in denial. I think the person who is most
distraught is her mother, that is the person you can see the pain in her eyes
every time you speak to her so you have to be very careful and choose your words
because she understands fully well and you don’t want to say nothing that
hurts her feelings or kills her spirit for any chance for further improvement.”
Sadly financial assistance has only been trickling in to help Janay Moguel
and it is hoped that just as Belizeans showed an overwhelming support for the
Haitian victims, they will now do the same for one of their own little ones.
Dr. Joel Cervantes,
“And so I think the family would be appreciative of anything that
they can get, even if it is just a smile from somebody, if it is a good complement,
if it is financial support, a pledge or getting something in person, I think
they would appreciate it a lot.”
Janay Moguel’s condition is now considered stable. Once she is removed
from the ICU, the medical cost will be reduced. But still, there are many more
days of hospitalization ahead, and any financial donation you can make will
help in the recovery and therapy she will need.
You can help by calling Janay’s parents Marvin at cell phone
number 604 -8121 or her mother Ruth at cell phone number 605-5641. You can Also
Make Donations at First Caribbean International Bank in Account Number 10103315.
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