> <http://www.khaleejtimes.co.ae/citytimes/ct210902/ctlead_2.jpg> > Before the tragedy: Carol Irene Vaz. > * Time stopped for Carol Irene Vaz at 0330 hours on May 26, 2002. It > has stayed frozen since then. > * Carol was the back seat occupant of the car that was hit by a > trailer truck in the early hours of that fateful morning on the Airport > Road where a group of friends had gone into a gas station to tank up > before returning home. > * The trailer struck them as they rejoined the mainstream and the > major part of the impact was on the backseat. > * The rescue mission called for cutting through the mangled metal. > * The other two occupants sustained injuries but are now out of > danger. > * Carol is in a coma. It is now exactly four months and on Wednesday > there will be little that is sweet about her turning sixteen. > > Doctors at the Rashid Hospital have stabilised her condition from the > moment she was brought into the Emergency that morning with a ruptured > liver, damage to the brain stem and skull fractures among other injuries. > > Coma is one condition that cannot be predicted. A patient can wake up at > any time. There is no more that medicine can do and Rashid Hospital is in > the position of having done everything medically possible. > > Carol will now be taken back to India where her family will stand vigil > and pray for a miracle. But before she moves to her hometown in Mumbai, an > American specialist is having a second look at her state before her > parents take the chance of putting her on a plane. Carol had come to Dubai > to spend her vacation with her parents who both work here. Every second > year the children visit Dubai and the holiday had begun on April 18. She > was scheduled to go back by the first week of June. A Class X student she > was immensely popular and several cards, letters and calls from her mates > have streamed in over the months. > > There is no response to any stimuli at the present but Mum and Dad, > Hippolito and Cynthia Vaz, refuse to give up hope. Brother Carey is > convinced that something good will happen. > > Talking to City Times, Cynthia, her tears now spent, is stoic but > determined. She intends to give up her job in Dubai to look after her > daughter full time. For monetary reasons, Hippolito will stay on but his > heart will be going with his daughter. > > They keep talking to her even now and hope that they are getting through. > A major Shah Rukh Khan fan, Carol was looking forward to seeing the film, > Devdas. > > "I am sure if Shah Rukh reads this," says her mother, "He will come > forward. Who knows if he spares a few minutes to stand by her bed and talk > to her, the sound of his voice may trigger something." Meanwhile, the > vigil continues. The family speaks in the present tense, it is always as > if they expect her to open her eyes at any moment. > > "She is the perfect daughter, very understanding," says her father. "Never > gives me trouble. And she wants nothing. Every time I travel to India, > which is once every two years, I will call her up and ask her what she > wants and she will say 'Nothing Papa, just you two." Her grandmother, who > has brought her up lives in Mumbai and has not been told of the situation > till date. They have told her that Carol has broken her leg and the > hospital rules do not allow mobile phones for patients. > > Her grandmother is very concerned that Carol is missing school. Amazingly, > everyone in Marol, Andheri, which is her hometown and the St John the > Evangelist High School authorities, have maintained the secret. > > Brother Carey is a mix of intense grief and shock, almost helpless in his > sense of outrage. But he also believes he will get his sister back. > > They are all waiting for a miracle to happen. But, sometimes when the > guard goes down and there is that sudden confrontation with harsh reality, > they understand as a family that this travail could go on for years. She > is young and may stay this way for years on end. > > But they don't want to go that route. For now, the priority is to get her > back home. Maybe in more familiar surroundings, a grandmother, a > classmate, a teacher, a voice that is not from the wilderness, maybe even > Shah Rukh Khan will trigger a response. And Carol will wake up. > > Give her a gift on Wednesday > > On September 25, Carol will turn 16. It should have been a great birthday, > a coming of age and a bursting of balloons. > > Instead, a bursting of the bubble. Carol will not know she is sixteen. She > will not hear anyone say 'Happy Birthday' and she won't tear the coloured > paper off her presents or know that all over the UAE thousands of us, > expats and locals alike are sparing more than just a thought today for > this child. > > We are not doctors and we don't know when the agony will end but City > Times has been touched by this tragedy occurring here on home ground that > we call on all of us to say a special prayer at mid-day on Wednesday > September 25. It has been said that more things are wrought by prayer than > this world dreams of and we feel that such a collective effort might > create a miracle. > > Those of you who wish to help this distressed and exhausted family you can > do so by contributing a small sum to the Indian Community Welfare > Committee PO Box 737, Dubai or call them - or K. Kumar on 050-6565433 - > through the Indian Consulate on 3434466. To make it easier, you could send > a token contribution to Bank of Baroda Account number 63131 which is the > account for the registered ICWC. The proceeds will go towards her welfare > and care in India and towards the transportation of the patient, a nurse > and doctor to India besides the parents. > > To display an initiative Air-India Regional Director PP Singh has cleared > a 50 per cent discount on the six seats needed for the patient to be > carried by flight. Airline spokesman Raj Kumar confirmed this fact to City > Times. The aircraft seats will be specially configured for her comfort and > safety. Think about it. A holiday. A car crash. A coma and a whole family > in trauma. There but for you and I, go us. > > Ten dirhams each might be enough to pay the bill. If not, a prayer is > free. > <<ctlead_2.jpg>>
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