Garth Rattray

We often hear and see news reports about some victims of gun crimes being shot and killed while others were shot and injured. Most of us say a prayer of gratitude and breathe a sigh of relief for those who were 'only' shot and injured. However, the terrifying and sad reality is that some surviving gun-attack victims are sentenced to a very poor -quality life with interminable suffering, dependence on others and incapacitation.

I know a decent young man who sold goods downtown (Kingston). He was accosted by a group of thugs because they recognised him as living in a rival community (off the Spanish Town Road). Although he had nothing to do with their little 'war', they held him and shot him in the head.

The bullet tore its way from one side of his temple and exited through the other. He survived and was thought to be 'lucky' because he was only 'shot and injured'. But, when I saw him after his discharge from the hospital, he didn't look so lucky to me. In its destructive path, the bullet blew out both eyes, leaving him totally and permanently blind. He also sustained trauma to the frontal lobes of his brain, leaving him unable to do much except curl up in bed and be cared for.

Dreams crushed

Even more personally distressing for me is the recent case of a patient of mine who I watched grow up from a teenager into an incredibly decent, honest, gentle, polite, considerate, kind and progressive young man. He was about his job delivering goods and collecting payment from a customer when murderous criminals arrived on the scene to kill the owner of the business. As usual, the heartless monsters opened fire on everyone inside the place. The owner was killed and my patient was 'lucky' enough to survive because he was shot and injured. He was shot five times - in the head, face, lower back, upper back and neck.

One of the bullets that lodged in his spine left him paralysed from his neck down and needing assisted or augmented breathing. Now, all the plans and dreams of this extremely fine and decent human being have been cut short. He will always have to depend on others for everything. On top of all their worries, the family's budget must stretch that much further.

The media should expose the atrocious 'sequelae' of shootings by routinely doing follow-up pieces on gun-crime survivors. The stories would be revealing and very heart-rending.

Suffering

Many of our fellow Jamaicans who have been shot and injured are suffering psychologically, physically and financially. Some have lost brain tissue, eyes, teeth, body parts (bowel, kidneys, digits, arms, legs) or mobility (due to paralysis). Some must live with colostomy bags and/or urine tubes. The monsters who have maimed and/or incapacitated them have condemned them to a miserable existence, yet usually remain free to continue to grow in strength, boldness, barbarism, weaponry, ammunition and numbers every day.

I don't know how to forgive some politicians for our many shootings. Rampant murders didn't plague our fair land until politics introduced divisiveness, the gun culture, acrimonious political tribalism, area leaders/dons, violence as a solution for disagreements, the posse (political gang) and the dependency syndrome.

Survivors of all violence often need support. People who have been shot and injured (or stabbed, or beaten) should be part of a government-sponsored social-relief and health-care plan. Some need basic financial support along with psychological care, medications, rehabilitative services, home care, prosthesis, ambulatory devices.