The medical procedure to enable Martina Edwards to walk again has been a success. The 34-year-old woman is expressing gratitude to all who responded to her plea for assistance, whether they gave financially, in prayers, or well wishes.
Last Wednesday she underwent hip surgery at the Fracture and Orthopaedic Clinic in Trinidad. The surgery was done by Dr. Godfrey Araujo.
“The doctors are pleased with my X-rays; they are pleased with my progress so far. I’ve been able to walk a little. I still rely on the walker and the wheelchair but I am more mobile than I have been for a year,” she said.
She said she has a follow-up visit with the surgeon on Thursday to find out more about her recovery and exactly when she can return home to Antigua.
But she already knows her return will be much sooner than the three months the medical team initially thought she would need to remain in Trinidad for post-surgery care.
“So everything has just been working in my favour so far, and I really thank the public for the support. I really, really appreciate all the donations I received, all the calls, all the best wishes, all the prayers,” she added.
Edwards said she is very happy and looks forward to returning home and being reunited with her family, especially her five-year-old daughter.
The woman’s troubles started almost 11 months ago when she went to the Mount St. John’s Medical Centre to deliver her baby. According to her, the child was too big to pass through the birth canal.
After several hours of difficulties, she requested a caesarean section.
The medical staff allegedly took her to the theatre and prepped her for the procedure, but then reportedly changed their minds and had her deliver the
baby vaginally, despite her immense pain and discomfort.
The child was delivered but died 20 minutes later.
After she buried her baby, Edwards began having persistent pain in her legs and hips, which worsened over time.
By July 2018 she could no longer work, lost her job, needed a caretaker and had to move from where she lived. That was not all. Edwards had to obtain help from relatives to raise her first child, a daughter. All the while, the pain got progressively worse and when she queried whether being forced to deliver her baby vaginally was the right thing to do, she was reportedly told that the hospital had “followed procedure”.
When she got the Avascular Necrosis (AVN) diagnosis in December, she was also told that it could be linked to how she delivered the baby because the pressure caused the death of bone tissue due to interruption of the blood supply.
Edwards said she has been seeking legal advice, but currently her focus is on regaining mobility.
Her only hope of walking again was hip replacement surgery. Fortunately for her, she had private insurance which covered part of the medical expenses, while the Medical Benefits Scheme financed the balance.
Relatives and residents responded to her appeal for donations to cover the cost of flying to Trinidad, and the accommodation for her and her caretaker during their stay there.