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| Sarah Ohid |
Little Sarah Ohid seemed energetic and exuberant as she sang her favourite song and danced at her home last week, while already afflicted with the dengue virus that would kill her days later.
Mourners at her funeral service yesterday at the family home at Crissy Street, Block Five, Palmiste, San Fernando, were shown a 30-second video of the girl, captured by relative Mark Ohid.
Those 30 seconds were the only time that tears were replaced by chuckles of laughter at the funeral service.
During his remarks, Ohid paid special tribute to Sarah, playing her favourite song “Who says” by Selena Gomez, with the words of the chorus, “I’m no beauty queen, I’m just beautiful me”.
Sarah, who was born on Christmas Day, 2003, died early morning on Saturday September 17 after falling ill last Monday with fever, diarrhoea and vomiting.
The Standard Two pupil of the San Fernando TML Primary School stayed home from school that day and her parents sought medical attention at a private doctor, who had ruled out dengue haemorrhagic fever.
She returned to school on Tuesday September 13 and Wednesday September 14, but by Thursday her condition deteriorated.
her mother, Sherry Ann, took her for treatment at a nursing home, and when a test confirmed she had dengue, she was transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.
She arrived at the San Fernando General Hospital in shock, and doctors said they fought to save her life. However, she passed away after six hours.
Her father, Kelly, a project engineer, said that before the illness she was a healthy child.
Also attending the service were members of the Cub Scouts from her school, of which she was a member. They placed pink and white roses in her casket and her cub scout leader placed an honorary scarf on her body.
Two pictures of Sarah were placed near her casket, with brightly coloured flowers and wreaths next to them.
A neighbour, Keith Ramdass, said Sarah had told him she wanted to be a housewife, and was passionate about cooking. “She was very polished,” Ramdass said. “She had the quality to be a statesman. She was very graceful. She was charismatic. Even if you didn’t know her, you would have found it in your heart to love her”.
Pastor Clyde Ramlochan, in delivering the sermon, told mourners that although she was a child, she had impacted on the lives of many persons, not just her parents.
Ramlochan said: “Remember parents, children are an inheritance from the Lord. Sarah was an inheritance and a reward from God. Those who see them as a distraction and a nuisance should see them as the future”. He appealed to parents to “introduce our children to God, to Jesus. Let us bring them to where they can find God so that there will be a change in Trinidad and Tobago”.
Sarah was buried at the Cap-de-Ville cemetery, near Point Fortin.
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