T&T’s beloved author and historian Angelo Bissessarsingh, who was hospitalised last week for pneumonia, has been discharged from the San Fernando General Hospital. However, Bissessarsingh remains hooked up to an oxygen ventilator at his Siparia home.
Despite his weak condition, Bissessarsingh, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015, continues to remain in high spirits having defied his doctor’s predictions that he was on the verge of death.
In an interview yesterday, his father Rudolph said he has access to a full time nurse who takes care of him 24/7. His aunt, Dr Ann Marie Bissessarsingh, is paying for his full time care, Rudolph said, adding, “He is still very weak and cannot walk. He has to get two weeks of rest for him to fully recover.”
Rudolph said he was thankful that his son’s breathing had improved. He also gave special thanks to Laura Khan, the wife of Energy Minister Franklin Khan, who donated a pint of blood on Thursday.
“I want to thank her and the other ten donors who assisted Angelo. Before we had to pay for blood, but so far we have sufficient supplies for him and we are so thankful to his friends and supporters,” Rudolph added.
He also thanked Premnath Diptee and his sons Rajiv and Ravi Diptee, who assisted the family when Bissessarsingh’s cancer medication, which costs $30,000 per month, ran out.
Saying the nation had rallied around Bissessarsingh during his time of need, Rudolph said it was this support that has been keeping Bissessarsingh alive.
Asked whether he believed that corporate T&T should contribute towards cancer research, Rudolph said, “I don’t think we have the economics for that type of research. Other countries spend billions of dollars and still they have found no cure.”
He said during his visit to the St James Hospital he saw hundreds of cancer patients waiting for care.
“Cancer will continue to have a serious economic strain on the heath care system. Some of our brightest minds are lost to cancer,” Rudolph added.
He said many people were often cruel to Bissessarsingh because he was obese, but it was the cancer in his liver which caused him to swell.
“Some cancers bloat you and this is what happened to Angelo. He put on a lot of weight over five to eight years. We took him for medical examinations for two years, they found nothing. It was only when they put a fibre optic cable into his chest cavity that they saw the cancer cells on his liver,” Rudolph added.
Saying life was fragile, Rudolph said he was proud of all his son had accomplished.
Angelo is the founder of the Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago heritage resource and writes a column titled “Back in Time” for the Trinidad Guardian. He has published several books, including Walking with the Ancestors—The Historic Cemeteries of Trinidad, published in 2013; Snapshots of the History of Trinidad and Tobago, Virtual Glimpses into the Past; and Pancho’s Dilemma, all published in 2016, which have earned him many accolades.
Bissessarsingh was given the keys to San Fernando by former mayor Kazim Hosein (now Local Government minister) earlier this year and was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) during this year’s Independence Day awards.