Senior citizen longs to attend church

Simone Morgan-Lindo

STAR Writer

One of Amy Fowler's wishes was to attend Good Friday service at the New Testament Church of God in Point Hill, St Catherine today.

However when the THE STARvisited her earlier this week, that dream is farfetched as the 91-year-old has been unable to visit her church for more than 15 years.

"Mi really long to go church but I can't do it because mi can't walk for years. Is long time I don't go outside but mi glad to have life same way. Mi would really wa go Easter service but it can't happen because of the new disease (COVID-19) going around too. I would really want to spend Easter in church but I just have to spend it on my bed like mi usually do," she said.

The government had ordered that persons aged 70 and over must stay home as they are more susceptible to the contagious disease.

Fowler suffers from Parkinson's and Alziemer's and has temporary memory loss. But according to her caregiver, Christine Jordan, she never forgets to read her Bible and would often read a scripture or two daily.

Fowler, who was born in 1929, says that although she remains indoors, she follows the news keenly as it relates to the novel coronavirus, while stating that this is the first time she has come across such a deadly virus.

"Mi never get any of what go around because mi eat good food. No polio or chik-v or anything because when mi was younger mi work hard, but mi eat really good food whe never full a fertilisers. Mi used to catch fever but is long time mi nuh get any thank God. This disease is serious bad and is the first time mi hear bout something like dis. Mi don't know anyone who have it but mi hear how bad it is," she said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Jordan and another of the elderly woman's caregivers who stated that they have been taking extra precautions with her since the first Jamaican case was announced on March 10.

"We have sanitisers and we spray her bed with Lysol every day. Right now we don't allow anyone to come in her room or touch her. We do everything to make sure say she safe and okay. She only have one child and he is 78 and lives in the US but she have a lot of people who care for her because she is a nice woman. But now everybody understand so they stay on the varendah and call to her if and when they visit," Jordan said.