Freedom fighter, 92, has nowhere to go Priyanka Vora, Hindustan Times Mumbai, February 05, 2013
Laura Rodrigues D’Souza, 92, at St George Hospital, CST. More than 50 years ago, Laura Rodrigues D’Souza fought for the liberation of Goa, but today the 92-year-old lies in a hospital bed at St George Hospital, CST, waiting for someone to come and take her to a place she can call home. Frail and bedridden, Laura is hoping her granddaughter in Canada will come and take her. The hospital administration, meanwhile, is searching for an old-age home as she has been declared fit to be discharged from the hospital. “She was admitted to the hospital on November 29, 2012, with weakness and swelling in the neck. An unknown person admitted her and gave a Hyderabad address. As it was an emergency, we started treatment,” said Dr J Bhawani, deputy medical superintendent, St George Hospital. However, after a week when doctors said she could go home, hospital nurses learnt she had no relatives or home in the city. Her case was referred to the superintendent of medical social work Dattatray Vibhute who started searching for her relatives. “When we spoke to her she took out documents from a torn purse. We were shocked to see she was actually a freedom fighter and was receiving a government pension,” said Vibhute. Further investigations revealed she has a daughter in Dubai and a granddaughter in Canada. Hospital authorities have now informed MRA Marg police station about Laura. I was part of the Goa liberation movement,” said Laura, who has become famous in the hospital because of her peculiar food habits. “She only has aerated drinks and loves restaurant food. She refuses hospital food,” said a ward boy. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Freedom-fighter-92-has-nowhere-to-go/Article1-1006433.aspx * * * Shelter home takes in freedom fighter Sumitra Deb Roy, TNN Feb 6, 2013, 02.47AM IST St George Hospital|Mother Teresa|Laura Rodricks D'Souza|homeless Goan freedom fighter MUMBAI: The 92-year-old homeless Goan freedom fighter, Laura Rodricks D'Souza, who was lingering on at St George Hospital, was taken to Mother Teresa's Asha Daan Shelter Home in Byculla on Tuesday. TOI had reported how D'Souza, a veteran of the Goa Liberation Movement, had been staying at the hospital for over two months as she had nowhere to go. Her daughter and granddaughter who live in Dubai and Canada respectively were contacted by the hospital, but they had not responded positively until Monday. The hospital's social service superintendent, Vibhute Dattatreya, had got in touch with the family, who had earlier said they were not in a position to help D'Souza. "But now the granddaughter has promised to soon come to Mumbai and take care of her grandmother," he said, adding that she may also get D'Souza's daughter along. D'Souza had a son who is no more. Dattatreya informed the granddaughter that D'Souza has been shifted to the Byculla shelter home. "The police told us that Asha Daan has agreed to take care of her. She was under the care of Asha Daan even before she was brought here," he said. A qualified ayurveda graduate, D'Souza was staying in Hyderabad with one of her Colaba neighbours. The neighbour brought her to Mumbai and admitted her to the hospital after she developed a swelling on her leg, became very weak, and had difficulty in breathing. Abraham Mathai, president of the Harmony Foundation, said: "It is heart breaking that a mother has to depend on public mercy for shelter and care while her own children are settled abroad." He, too, appealed to the shelter home to take D'Souza under their care. * * *
