Special Article
 

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We sincerely thank 'Khaleej Times' [Dubai based leading English daily], Sushil Kutty [Author of the article], Farha Seth and Mr. Denzil fernandes for permitting us to re-produce this article on our website. This article published in Khaleej Times on 21.09.02- Editor

  
 

A holiday. A car crash. A coma and a whole family in trauma!
 Carol Vaz won't know she's 16!!
  

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  • Time stopped for Carol Irene Vaz at 0330 hours on May 26, 2002 and 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 (25th September) there will be little that is sweet about her turning sixteen.

Doctors at the Rashid Hospital, Dubai 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 (Supplement published by Khaleej 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. 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 Dubai that we call on all of us (Whole world) to say a special prayer at mid-day on Wednesday September 25.

Carol about 4 months after accident

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 00971-50-6565433 - through the Indian Consulate on 00971-4-3434466. 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 we, go us. Three Dollars each might be enough to pay the bill. If not, A PRAYER IS FREE
Courtesy: Sushil Kutty, Khaleej Times

 

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SHAH RUKH REACHES OUT TO CAROL

A mother's wish. Answered immediately. A small gesture. But a meaningful one. Bollywood icon, Shah Rukh Khan, has agreed to help rekindle a temporarily stilled life. Even as Carol Irene Vaz lies in a coma and her family are, at this minute, in a state of suspended shock, there is a rallying of support.

All of us at City Times gathered our Bollywood resources moved into action. We frantically tried to call up the star's close friends, colleagues, anyone, in a bid to get the request across.

More than one connection to Mumbai clicked. So, could the star spare a few minutes? A word or two. Just his mere presence by the girl's bedside, perhaps, seeing as how her mother said his voice might be the magical trigger? After all, miracles are known to have happened in real life and we are willing to take that chance.

There was no hesitation. Shah Rukh said yes at once. Of course, he would meet with the 16-year-old fan who has been in a coma at Rashid Hospital for the last four months. On September 27, a day after her birthday, this victim of a road accident, will be flown to her hometown in Mumbai, India.

Since her story made headlines, we were inundated with concerned callers and SMS messages offering prayers and monetary help. People from different social backgrounds and cultures, who were touched by the young girl's plight and who understood the helplessness of the situation seemed eager to contribute, to pray to do something for her and her family.

For some, it was touching a raw wound. They had been too close to the brink of reality and back. "Carol, you can make it too," said one such voice with all the conviction she could muster up. For all of our sake, we hope so too.

Course: Farha Seth [Khaleej Times]