Nurse injured in accident may not be able to use her hand for a year

A young mother and registered nurse, Shellyann Gilgeous-Hope sustained severe injuries after a speeding car slammed into her car on the Diamond, East Bank Demerara Public Road on Saturday last.

Gilgeous-Hope, of Diamond Housing Scheme, was on her way home from work when the accident occurred.  According to her, doctors said the injuries she sustained to her right dominant hand may take six months to fully heal and within another six months, she should have full functions of her hand. The nurse, who is attached to the Eccles Health Centre, is calling for justice as she is now unable to care for herself and her two young sons.

“I just want justice because my hands are my tools. I am a nurse and I have to use my hands to give vaccines, to write and it is my dominant hand. I cannot take care of my kids, I cannot even take care of my own self,” Gilgeous-Hope told the News Room during an interview on Thursday.

Gilgeous-Hope explained that while she was heading home on the day of the incident, she noticed a white car parked on the opposite side of the road and just as the car was about to drive off, another car came speeding over to her lane and collided with her.

“After I would have seen this vehicle approaching me, I tried to turn to avoid a collision because that’s the only thing that came to mind at that time and I couldn’t turn in time because of the rate the person was coming, the person entered into my lane and collided with me,” Gilgeous-Hope explained.

The entire incident was caught on surveillance video.

“The young lady who ran into me, she is insisting it wasn’t her fault, she is not taking any interest in the fact that she was speeding and entered into my lane.”

Gilgeous-Hope had to undergo surgery for the hand and is now recovering at home.

But the road to recovery is a long one and while she suffered injuries to her hand, Gilgeous-Hope explained that the damage to her car is also severe.

Gilgeous-Hope further explained that her husband would also use the car to work as a taxi driver. Gilgeous-Hope said she lived a very active life and now has to depend on her husband to care for her and the children.