Copyright trinidadexpress
An autopsy on the body of three-day-old Kemani Gordon concluded the cause of death as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). But his parents, Nicholas Badal and Destiny Gordon, believe the child's death was triggered by fireworks on Divali night. The first-time parents are now calling for fireworks to be banned. Badal, 29, yesterday told the Express that his son, who was born on October 18 at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH), was given a clean bill of health and discharged with his 19-year-old mother on October 19, the day before Divali. Hours later, at their home in Bholai Trace East, Chase Village, he said his child would be terrorised by the explosions from the fireworks. “When Kemani came home, he was normal, full of life, healthy. Even on Monday during the day, he was good. It is only Monday night, when the fireworks start to burst, he started to jump up and cry,” the father said. For several hours, the newborn baby would endure the overwhelming sound of the explosions. “The fireworks started about 6 or 7 p.m. Every time that happen and we calm him down, the fireworks start back again. He was crying whole night and he didn’t sleep,” he continued. Exhausted, he said the baby boy eventually fell asleep at 2 a.m. “All of us were so tired, we fell asleep but fireworks was still going on,” he added. He said when he checked on his son shortly after 4 a.m., he found the baby unresponsive. “We rushed him to the emergency in Chaguanas, but when we get there the doctors say they couldn't do anything that it was too late. He passed away already,” he recalled. He believes that the stress caused by the use of fireworks led to his son's untimely death. “The postmortem says SIDS but we believe it is because of the fireworks. It is a three-day-old baby. Hearing that fireworks, he keep jumping. I myself was jumping,” he added. Even as the family begged neighbours to stop bursting fireworks, their pleas were not heeded. “We were begging people to stop bursting fireworks but when you talk to them is like they don't care. They even throw fireworks in front the gate and where baby was sleeping is like ten feet away,” he said. Calls to the police also went unanswered, he added. “I keep calling the police ad they ever come. I call 999 four times. I called Freeport station two times. They never answer. I have all the records on my phone,” he said. “It is pain and more pain. This is unimaginable. OurBadal, 29 first child. He didn't deserve that wickedness. I want justice for my child. Fireworks should be banned. No more fireworks for anything again," he said. A resident of the community, who asked to go unnamed, told the Express yesterday that the fireworks were “extremely loud” on Divali night. “My dog was going crazy that night. There was a lot of noise from the fireworks. I could only imagine what that baby was going through. This is very unfortunate,” he added.
