Developer to Assist Ailing Child

Details

You & Your Family

Wednesday, 19 December 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John's - Following revelations that the Medical Benefits Scheme has given Education Minister Dr Jacqui Quinn Leandro a whopping US$100,000 to seek medical attention overseas, Caribarena has learnt that over on the sister island of Barbuda a despairing mother is desperately seeking financial assistance for her ailing 7-year-old son.

The little boy, TJ Walker, is said to have an abdominal condition that requires surgery in Barbados.

His parents, Junior Walker – a relative of Barbuda MP Trevor Walker – and Ann Marie Beazer, have, according to reports, been struggling to get the necessary assistance from alternative sources to save their young son’s life.

This assistance might soon be forthcoming from a prominent property developer, Adam Barrett through his company Stanhope Shepherd.

He told Caribarena on Tuesday that the case was brought to his attention during an annual Christmas event on the sister island the weekend before last. Barrett said they encountered the seven-year-old who was severely underweight.

“We are currently working with Social Services to have this child's circumstances improved, and as soon as an assessment has been made as to his medical condition, my company will be assisting him,” Barrett said.

He added that currently, from his understanding, the Social Services department is doing “what it can” with a “passionate and caring” staff.

“Hopefully with assistance from the private sector things can be improved. As soon as we know more we will be in touch,” Barrett said.

It was not clear if an application for assistance was made to the MBS, but some digging by Caribarena has revealed that even if such a request were to be made, the agency would ordinarily commit no more than EC$4,500 to the family’s cause.

This, according to well-placed sources within the Scheme, would be due to legal constraints that restrict the MBS Board from issuing more than that amount for such cases.

This will likely continue to raise questions about the flexibility of the MBS, and how it was able to approve the disbursement of US$100,000 to a politician within a day, but be limited to an EC$4,500 in the case of an ailing child whose parents are financially challenged.

Just over a year ago, former MBS accountant Elmeade Jarvis was convicted for paying out monies beyond the stipulated limit and sentenced to a two-year term of imprisonment. Jarvis was convicted on April 5th 2011 last year for three counts of “fraudulent conversion”.

Efforts to reach Barbuda MP Trevor Walker were unsuccessful.

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