KipRich, family plunged into mourning again

Mere weeks after losing his father, KipRich and his family were further plunged into mourning with the death of his grandmother, who died at the Linstead Public Hospital on Tuesday.

The dancehall artiste told THE STAR that 98-year-old Lila Williams, who hails from Redwood district in St Catherine, was initially being treated for dehydration when she was admitted over a week ago, but said there was an issue when she was administered intravenous therapy.

“They sent her home, but I don’t know what happened when they were searching for the vein, but it caused a swelling in her hand. It became swollen, and the swelling get away in the hand to the point that it caused a big blister over where dem stick the needle. And then we see the swelling of the hand go up to the shoulder part, and when she came on the video call, and me look on her, she told me the whole of the arm and shoulder was hurting. I could see it for myself that it swelled up big, big,” he said.

Upon seeing the swollen arm, he immediately got concerned and told his family to take her back to the hospital as the swelling could mean an infection.

“When my next cousin [went] down there and call me, when me look upon granny now, the two hands swollen as if they have injected the next hand, and apparently the same thing happened. So both hands swell up now, and she was in a lot of pain. You could see the swelling as it was obvious because she was not a fat person. And then she started complaining now of pain in her stomach,” he said.

KipRich said she also required a test at another facility but was waiting on an available ambulance to do so.

“And you know, once them admitted, you can’t take them out and use your personal vehicle as carrier and all them thing. We have to wait until they do what they are to do. It’s a process,” he stated.

KipRich, whose given name is Marlon Plunkett, said though his grandmother was almost 100, she maintained fairly decent health before being hospitalised. He is left distraught over the whole situation, as he was very close to his grandmother, who helped to raise him.

“When she go hospital, she brought a pillow that had my picture on it. She doesn’t leave that pillow no time. If you go in a granny room, it’s my picture big, big at the front, and nobody can touch that picture. If she sees something come in the newspaper about me, she saves it. They always say I’m her favourite grandchild. You know me and her have that connection because she used to grow me,” he said.

KipRich expressed frustration that the family is now planning two funerals.

“Remember me nuh bury my father yet; I’m just planning that and it set for October 18. So now with my granny, it’s like a double thing me a haffi a think about.”