Nevis community lauded for quick response in aid of ill Gingerland Villager

Support Coordinator Pink Lilly Cancer Care Group Ms. Tracy Parris (l) receiving a donation from President of the St. Georges Development and Enhancement Committee Mr. Collin Dore (r) and group member Mr. Devon Liburd (middle) on behalf of their group and the community for fellow villager Ms. Rubylette Chapman

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (DECEMBER 24, 2012) — Support Coordinator Pink Lilly Cancer Care Group Ms. Tracy Parris has lauded the efforts of the Nevis community for its quick response for assistance to assist fellow Nevisian and Gingerland villager Ms. Rubylette “Ruby” Chapman, who had been experiencing financial difficulty which has hindered her life saving treatment in Cuba.

Ms. Parris made the comment, when she received a $1,500 donation from the St. Georges Development and Enhancement Committee on December 20, 2012, at Bath Plain, $500 of which was donated on the spur of the moment during the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Gingerland some days before.

“I would first like to say thanks from the bottom of my heart on behalf of Rubylette Chapman and her family, in great appreciation for this donation from the St. Georges Development and Enhancement Committee. We have had a fantastic response to the call and trust me this is going to help so, so much and I just want to thank you so very much for this.

“Just since Friday last week up to yesterday, we have raised over $7,000 and I just want to applaud everybody in the community. It has been a fantastic community and group effort and there’s no one person I can thank except Dr. Badales for really, really setting the ball rolling. I would just ask the community to please continue their support and fantastic efforts and thanks again on behalf of the Nevis Maternal Fund, Pink Lilly and of course Rubylette Chapman and her family,” she said.

An account had been set up at the Bank of Nevis and persons who wished to assist Ms Chapman could do so at 219903. Alternatively they could take the donations to Ms. Parris at A1 office or to Mrs. Tracy Frazier at the Nevis Tourism Authority both in Charlestown.

According to Ms. Parris, Ms. Chapman’s plight was brought to the fore when Dr. Badales recently visited Cuba on her own medical emergency and met her.

“Dr. Badales highlighted what a lot of us really did not know, that yes Ruby was in Cuba and yes she was having treatment but we weren’t really informed of the financial difficulty that she was now in which had hindered the process of her treatment. Thanks to Dr. Badales’ press release, the response has been phenomenal,” she said.

Meantime, President of the St. Georges Development and Enhancement Committee Mr. Collin Dore, while he handed over the cheque to Ms. Parris on behalf of Ms. Chapman, said his organisation had donated to their fellow villager’s cause because she had given much to the community and she was in need of help.

“We want to make a presentation to the Nevis Maternal Fund to assist our fellow community member Rubylette Chapman who is in Cuba seeking medical attention. She has been away from us for over a year now and I am sure all of us in Gingerland and I am sure Nevis on a whole, would want her back as soon as possible.

“She has been an active member of our community both in terms of sports and other social areas. So this morning we want to partner with the Nevis Maternal Fund and we want to make a monetary contribution of $1,000 to that fund to assist her with her medical treatment,” he said.

Mr. Dore further noted, that his organisation was aware of the stress such situations could bring to family members and the patient especially with the high cost of medical care. He used the opportunity to urge persons to assist.

“I want to use this opportunity as well to encourage other persons to reach out. Give whatever donation is available to you at this time so that we can all pool together and assist her in getting the necessary medical care and to return to us in Gingerland and Nevis as soon as possible,” he said.

The Committee has been in existence for over 20 years and had undertaken a number of projects in the St. Georges Parish, among them, the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony and the devilment of the children’s park at Market Shop. The group president also announced plans to donate to the Sutton Family of Maynards Ground who had suffered loss as a result of a recent fire.

Mr. Dore was accompanied by another member of the group Mr. Devon Liburd.