Officials at the Women’s Hospital in Mt Hope have refused to release baby Cecilia, who was born on the pavement in Curepe on June 2, into the care of her parents. The baby’s father, Anthony Abraham, 53, said in an interview yesterday that he went to the hospital on Tuesday expecting to collect his newborn child but was told by a nurse that the baby was not ready to be discharged.
The child’s mother, Crystal Dennis, 34, was discharged from the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) on Monday. She was sent there days after she delivered the baby for further medical treatment and evaluation. But the T&T Guardian understands that the officials may be looking into whether the child should be made a ward of the state.
An official from the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development, who wished not to be identified, confirmed yesterday that they were handling the investigations into the case. The official added that the ongoing probe was being carried out by officials of the Social Services Unit and added that it was possible the baby would be taken away from both parents on the grounds that they do not have a proper home for the child and sufficient finances to support her.
Abraham and his common-law-wife Dennis have been together for 16 years and already have three other children, Anna, 11, Amanda, six and Aaron, five. They are currently in the care of one of Abraham's relatives. Yesterday, both Abraham and Dennis were in a one-room shack they call home when the T&T Guardian visited them. The live just off Farm Road, St Joseph, near the river bank.
Abraham said he would prefer baby Cecilia to be released into his care. “I want my baby. I want my baby here with me or by my mother. I am responsible enough to take care of my child,” he said. Dennis, who seemed a bit disoriented, kept repeating she wanted her baby also and help with money to buy food and other things for her.
“I want help! I want my baby! I want money to buy food!” Dennis said. However, during the interview she was frequently told by Abraham to stay quiet and let him do the talking. Abraham, not wanting to divulge much information, said he felt sorry for Dennis. He failed to elaborate as to why. “I’m sorry for her (Dennis) but I have to take care of my children,” he added.
When asked what he would do should the State take their baby away, Abraham replied: “I am not going to allow them to do that. I don’t want them to do that because when the State takes a child they put them in institutions and they (the child/children) are then faced with all kinds of abuse while they are growing up.
“They are physically and sexually abused and I know of this through people I know personally and what I listen and read in the media.” “I do not want to know that my daughter will be faced with this if taken away from me. I see people who are in worse off state than me have their children so why can't I have my baby?” he added.
Abraham assured once the baby was released to his care, he would see about the welfare of the child or have one of his relatives take care of the child for him. “It is just I don’t want my baby to be placed in an institution by the State. I want to know that my baby is growing up safe and the best way is through me.”
When asked how he and Dennis ended up living on the river bank, he replied: “I used to do electrical work for houses, working on my own and things happened and troubles came my way because of relatives and I am here today.” Asked how he had survived and taken care of Dennis, he replied: “I do odd jobs around for people and make sometimes $100 or $200 a day and with that I buy food and stuff to live on.”
When asked if both of them were drug users, they both denied such.
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Contacted yesterday for comment, Minister of the People and Social Development Minister Christine Newallo-Hosein said her ministry would only be able to assist in minor house repairs and socially-related grants, such as baby grants and disability grants. Efforts to contact Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development Clifton De Couteau for comment were unsuccessful.
The Family Services Division and Social Services Unit falls under his purview. On June 3, Newallo-Hosein publicly disclosed that the Social Services Division had intervened in mid-May to render help to Dennis, 34, who was assisted by passers-by in delivering her baby girl on the pavement in Curepe on June 2, but that she (Dennis) had refused the help.
Newallo-Hosein said a team from the ministry met with Dennis and asked her if she would like to be taken somewhere so she and her baby could have been cared for. Newallo-Hosein added that Dennis refused, saying that all they were interested in was taking her baby away and that she did not want any help.