Marissa Nelson, the 600 pound Valencia woman who was warded at the High Dependency Ward at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope for the past six months to undergo weight loss treatment, has died.
On Friday, Nelson predicted her death and told her mother, Sylvia Nelson, that she was going to meet her maker during their last conversation.
Yesterday, at 6.25 am, Sylvia, 68, was faced with tragic news that her 32-year-old daughter took her last breath.
The news was not what Sylvia had prepared for, since she lived with the hope that her daughter would have returned to her Johnson Street, Valencia home to live a normal and healthy life.
Three and a half hours earlier, nurses had informed the family Nelson’s health was deteriorating rapidly and they should come to the hospital.
“This was the last thing we were expecting to hear this morning. But somehow Marissa knew she was not going to make it. She knew God was ready for her,” said a tearful Sylvia, clutching her stomach as she spoke at her Valencia home yesterday.
Last September, Marissa, who at her heaviest weighed 600 pounds, was featured in the T&T Guardian when she appealed for help to deal with her morbid obesity. At the time she was in need of specialist medical care, urgent medication and a 24-hour caregiver.
Nelson suffered with lymphoedema, which left her limbs enormously swollen. She packed on the pounds after taking a cocktail of tablets to deal with her medical condition which left her confined to her bed for four years in her cramped quarters.
Touched by Nelson’s plight, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh offered medical help and provided a team of specialists to help with a weight loss programme. She was removed from her home last November and taken to Mt Hope where she began intense weight loss treatment.
Nelson underwent two operations—a gastric bypass surgery costing $90,000 and another surgery to remove oversized growths on her legs which were hindering her from walking.
In April, complications began setting in with her health, as she began vomiting and was in severe pain. She also fell while undergoing physiotherapy at the hospital, which caused the stitches on her legs to snap.
Last Friday, doctors had to perform an emergency surgery to treat a ruptured ulcer.
During a visit to the hospital yesterday, Nelson’s eldest sister Dianne Ramlal said she spoke to one of the surgeons who operated on her sister.
“The doctor told us Marissa had developed an ulcer between the large and small intestines in her abdomen following her gastric bypass surgery, which they had been treating for the past two months,” Ramlal said yesterday.
The ulcer, which ruptured on Thursday, led doctors to perform an emergency surgery the following day, she said.
“She was coughing up and passing blood. That is why they got so concerned,” her mother said.
“The doctors realised the bleeding was aggressive so they opened her up. But even after the operation she continued bleeding internally,” said an emotional Ramlal.
“She had lost half of the blood in her body. Marissa had lost six pints of blood and needed ten pints. But they (hospital) only had one pint. Because of the severe blood loss they (hospital) did not have enough to give her. So they kept giving her fluids and medication, Ramlal said.
Ramlal said the hospital tried their best with Marissa, but God took away her pains and suffering.
“The hospital did their best. The doctors fought with her. Marissa knew we loved her dearly,” Ramlal said.
Chief of Staff at EWMSC Dr Andy Bhagwandass yesterday refused to comment on the matter, while Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said he was extremely saddened by the news.
“I can’t share any information but what you can do is talk to NCRHA CEO Davlin Thomas and Dr Bhagwandass. The media has to understand that we can be sued for giving out a patient’s information,” Deyalsingh said.
Several calls to Thomas’ cellphone went unanswered and he did not respond to a text message.
An autopsy will be performed on Nelson’s body today.
