- five-year-old brother still warded
NINETEEN-year-old Howard Thomas, one of the survivors of the infamous January 26 massacre at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara was yesterday discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he was warded in the High Dependency Unit for just over three weeks.

In the bloody attack on the six-member Thomas’ household at Track “A” Lusignan, three persons were shot dead and two others wounded. Thomas’ father Clarence and two of his siblings – 12 year-old Vanessa and eleven year-old Ron were killed as the gunmen sprayed bullets on the helpless family members woken out of their sleep shortly before 2:00 h on the ill-fated day.

However, Howard who hid under a bed, was shot in the right shoulder and lower right arm by gunmen using high powered rifles.

His five-year-old brother, Roberto, who was in bed with their sister Vanessa, sustained two gunshot wounds in the lower abdomen and one in the leg.

Both of the surviving siblings had to undergo multiple surgeries to repair damaged tissues. Howard, who was shot in the arm, suffered shattered bones, and Roberto, of effervescent personality, and who has been keeping the nurses busy, suffered a protruding intestine shortly after his first surgery and had to be taken back to theatre.

On the day of the mass funeral for ten of the eleven victims of the massacre, Howard was in theatre, undergoing surgery to repair shattered bones in his right arm.

Throughout his period in hospital, Howard, who has been carefully evading the newspapers, literally ‘clammed up’ on reporters, and tried his best to negate every memory of the grim tragedy.

Asked for a comment following the mass burial, he painfully replied: “I don’t want to talk about it … just don’t want to remember it.” He said he had the option of attending the funeral then returning to hospital, as against keeping away from the funeral altogether, but he chose not to attend.

Meanwhile, Roberto, who saw his mother from where she was hiding, and impulsively jumped off his bed, holding his tummy and crying out “Mommy, mommy!”, has been alluded to by many who heard his story, as being saved by God who probably wants to use him for a special purpose.

At age five, having sustained three gunshot wounds in rapid succession, having bled profusely, taken to theatre twice, and was incredibly on the road to recovery in less than two weeks, speaks volumes.

Even though still hospitalized, Roberto, who has been transferred from the Intensive Care Unit at the GPH, has made a remarkable recovery, and is once more the bouncy and witty child he was prior to January 26.

Meanwhile, their mother Gomattie - a member of the Lusignan Assembly of God Church, has been described by those who know her, as an ardent Christian, strong in faith, and one who ensured that her family did likewise.

“That my son (Roberto) is alive today, is a miracle,” and I know that God is doing something special in his life,” Gomattie asserted.