Dubai: Maxwell Pareira underwent brain surgery at Rashid Hospital earlier this year after suffering a stroke that left him paralysed on his left side.
He remained hospitalised for three months as he recovered from the surgery that necessitated the removal of a piece of his skull. The hospital bills proved well beyond Pareira’s limited financial means. Then, on Easter day, Maxwell’s sponsor Roy Pareira settled the hospital bills and flew him back to his home in Marol, Mumbai.
Gulf News enquired about Pareira’s health and the family couldn’t be thankful enough.
Pareira’s niece, Leeann Pareira, who took the call said her uncle was resting and could not attend to the call as he is still recuperating.
Looking back at her uncle’s health crisis, Leeann said the operation had been a life-saver but he was still on the road to recovery and tended to forget things he had mentioned earlier. “Our family is very thankful that he was able to go through with the surgery and we have the people in Dubai who contributed to his recovery to thank. Without the financial aid, we don’t think he would have been able to do the operation or pay the expenses,” she said.
Pareira’s mother, who is 87, cares for him despite her age.
After his first surgery in Dubai, Pareira had to undergo another operation to replace the piece of bone that was removed to facilitate the first procedure. Leeann said it had been a difficult time for her uncle health-wise after the second surgery. “Thankfully it was a successful surgery; however, his recovery is still challenging for the family. His speech has improved but he has great difficulty remembering things. He also doesn’t move much from bed since he spent around three months in a bed in Dubai when he was in a coma,” she said.
“It’s difficult for his 87-year-old mother to carry him when he needs to go from one place to another or to constantly attend to his needs, which is why the whole family contributes in any way they can. His physiotherapy isn’t helping much because he has great difficulty moving but he tries his best and is pushing for a speedy recovery.
“It was a very difficult time for us during his treatment, but once the operation was done in Dubai, we had hope again. It is enough that we are all around him and we are witnessing positive changes in his health already. We can see a bright year ahead for him and we hope the improvement continues.
“In 2015, I would advise people to help others by offering whatever is within their reach. We are all put in difficult situations where we find ourselves desperate for help, so whenever anyone can lend a helping hand, they should do it without thinking.”