Wayne Saunders, the mentally ill man who jumped from a ledge at Kingston Public Hospital, told His Story last year about his challenges. - File

In late May, Wayne 'Selassie' Saunders, egged on by onlookers, jumped from a ledge at Kingston Public Hospital. On June 9, The Gleaner published my commentary on the incident.

In the lead paragraph I stated: "When I heard it on the midday news two Fridays ago, I was a bit shaken up, for I had seen it coming. But, it was the dramatic footage on TVJ of Wayne 'Selassie' Saunders jumping from a third-floor window at Kingston Public Hospital that sent chills up my spine."

Spinal injuries

The chills might be gone, but Wayne had suffered serious spinal injuries and is now paralysed, perhaps permanently, and is still in hospital. He cannot move his legs, though there is sensation in them. For him to change position in bed, he has to be assisted. His arms, which were badly broken, are mended but, according to Wayne, they are deformed. To urinate, he has to use a catheter. But how did he get to where he is?

A few days before that fateful leap, he was in his community of Red Hills cleaning the sidewalks, which was something he used to do for no pay. He had a big three-prong fork, with which he entered a shop. Some children saw him with it and became scared. Though they were assured that Wayne would not harm them, the police were called.

Upon their arrival, the police attempted to take the fork from Wayne, but he refused to give it up. According to Wayne, in the ensuing confrontation, a shot was fired and he was hit in the upper thigh. He ran home and locked himself in a room. The police called the fire brigade. The door to the room was kicked down, and Wayne says he was subdued by the powerful water from a fire hose. He was then taken to Kingston Public Hospital for treatment.

Wayne says that, days after, the police visited him there to charge him for abusing his common-law wife. Since he knew he had no such woman, he refused to go with them. They came about two more times, and Wayne still refused to comply. On their final visit, a friend who had gone to see Wayne was asked by Wayne not to leave, because he was scared of what could have happened.

Police altercation

The police insisted that Wayne go with them, but Wayne was adamant that he was not going. A policeman drew his firearm and Wayne became agitated. He grabbed a chair and smashed a window. He went through the opening with the chair and stood on the ledge for a while. The drama intensified as efforts were made to rescue him. A crowd gathered below.

Suddenly, there was darkness all around; he could see nothing. All he heard were voices shouting, "Jump! Jump! Jump!", and he jumped.

On the way down, he hit some utility wires, then fell on to a spike embedded in a security wall. There, impaled, he felt no pain as onlookers and others gathered around. He didn't panic and not for a moment thought he would die.

Wayne: "As I tell you, I tell you once, I tell you twice, death is not in my book. The only thing in my book is life and righteousness."

Life-saving procedures

After quite a while, he was disengaged and rushed to the operating theatre. It was after life-saving procedures that the pain really started to wrack his broken body, and it was unspeakable.

"It was miraculous, because a lot a people thought I would die," he said.

It is now seven months and the prognosis is not good for his being able to walk again. The wound caused by the impalement is also not properly healed. He has been to the Mona Rehabilitation Centre a few times, needs more physical therapy, but he's also broken in pocket. Yet, he's in a very good frame of mind, confident that he will walk again.

Wayne: "I get it (strength) from within, and reading the word of God."

Wayne might be challenged, but he is no idiot. His memory is sharp, he speaks well and understands what is happening to him.

To the people who encouraged him to jump he said: "Repent and do not render evil for evil. It could be their mother, their father, sister, brother up there, and would they have the heart to tell them to jump? And whatsoever you sow you reap, they will never know what a day may bring. Today you are up, tomorrow you are down."

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com