The Dominica Cricket Association (DCA) has stepped up in a massive way and has come to the aid of one of its own. On Monday, at a brief ceremony at the DCA’s office, officials of the local cricketing body made a presentation of a much-needed item to a former national player.
Alexander St. Luce, who opened the batting for Dominica in the 90’s, was presented with an electric bed.
The electric bed became a necessity for St. Luce after he injured himself when he fell from a tree in 2008. The fall fractured his spine and has left him paralyzed from the waist down and in extreme pain.
According to St. Luce, who hails from the village of Cochrane, the last 12 years have not been easy for him and the gift of this bed is a life changer.
“It’s been five years since I have been asking for this bed. I solicited assistance from a number of associations and did not receive any positive feedback. This bed is a life changer and it will allow me to be more independent. I will now be able to do things on my own like using the washroom and bathing myself,” St. Luce, who made his senior team debut at age 21, said.
He heaped praises on the Dominica Cricket Association and businessman and proprietor of Definition Fitness, Job Joseph for coming to his rescue.
“On behalf of my wife and family, I want to express thanks to all who made this possible. I know that my wife is extremely grateful because she has injured herself since my injury trying to give me therapy, trying to assist me to go on the bed and she has damaged herself. This bed has rectified a lot of things. So again, I want to say thank you to Glen Joseph and the DCA for this kind gesture.
“It has been a long and painful journey but being an opening batsman, I know what difficult times are. It has been a struggle. I want to thank those who contributed, Job Joseph. He has been making contributions ever since I got myself in this accident.
“He has been a great friend to me even when we played the game together. He always respected me. Other citizens who contributed towards the acquiring of this bed I want to say thank you a thousand times,” he stated with a deep sense of gratitude.
The electric bed was sourced at a cost of approximately EC$5000.
