Pain in any language - Former hospital worker, jobless, sick and hungry
Andrae Greenland tried desperately to hold back the tears as he related a recent incident, when a man allegedly threatened to rip feeding tubes from his body because he was begging for food.
Greenland, 32, suffers from dysphagia, which is a medical term for difficulty swallowing. He also suffers from hypothyroidism, also called underactive thyroid, which can lead to various issues including heart problems.
Having not worked since last September because of his illness, Greenland said he has had to resort to begging for food on some days.
"I don't like begging because I don't like the insults. Recently, a man told me that he feels like ripping out the tube from my body, and I just went back home and bear the hunger," he said.
A father of two, Greenland said he lived a normal life and worked as a porter at the Spanish Town Hospital for a couple of years. But, in 2022, he jumped at the opportunity to work in Trinidad and Tobago. That is where, he claimed, his nightmare began.
"I used to work at a place where there are lots of chemicals like bleach, drain cleaner and so on. One day I went for lunch and I came back. To be honest, I wasn't wearing the protective mask that was given to me at the time, and when I reach in, I saw my co-worker legs stretch out and that she had passed out. I then realised that the drums with the chemical had turned over. By the time I tried to push the emergency button I passed out," he said.
Greenland said he woke up three days later in a hospital bed. After being discharged, he was quickly sent back to Jamaica and told he would not be eligible for any benefits, as his employment status had been deemed illegal.
Back home, in January 2023, things appeared fine at first, until a few days later when he began to experience troubling symptoms.
"The food just never did a pass mi throat. I could drink but I couldn't eat, so mi start feed on porridge and soup. Afterwards it was like mi body start shrink because a lose weight ting dat. Mi go Spanish Town Hospital and dem refer mi to KPH (Kingston Public Hospital), which send mi go National Chest Hospital," he said.
The frail Greenland told THE WEEKEND STAR that he feels stomach pain every single day, and that survival has been difficult. Despite his challenges, he is hoping and praying that he can find a job to help him take care of himself and his children.
"Mi beg and start a little egg business, but mi use the money to buy snack for my two children in April. I can't provide for my children the way I used to and it hurts," he said.
Persons wishing to assist Andrae Greenland may contact him at (876) 561-2000.