AIT researcher loses mother and uncle to Covid-19

An Athlone IT researcher, who lost his mother and uncle to Covid-19 in his home country of Venezuela, has paid an emotional tribute to the local community for the way they have supported him since the virus brought such devastation to his family in recent weeks.

Evert Fuenmayor, who originally hails from Ciudad Ojeda in the Zulia State in Venezuela, has been living in Athlone since 2015 when he came to do a Masters in Polymer Engineering, later progressing to do a Ph.D. He acknowledges it was the best decision he has ever made and now works as a full-time researcher in Athlone IT.

Paying tribute to the people of Athlone for the support he has received since his beloved mother passed away at the end of June, he says with crackling emotion in his voice: “My mother was an example of what motherly love and unconditional love was really like, and if anyone wants to honour her you just have to try and be as nice a person to the person next to you. I think in a way, all of the support (I've got since she died) is the way she would want the world,” Evert says, thanking everyone who has reached out since, in particular, those who have donated to the family's GoFundMe page which they set up to try to pay for funeral costs, mounting medical bills and for care for his 90-year-old grandmother Gladys, who poignantly, was being cared for by his mother prior to her death at just 64.

“People take it for granted but it wouldn't happen anywhere else,” he points out, saying other members of his family in other countries have not experienced the help and support he has from friends, work colleagues, the college community, his girlfriend Catriona and her family who he describes as his second family, all which he appreciates so much at a time of great sadness.

Remembering his beloved mother, Evert recalls her getting very sick at the end of June and being rushed by ambulance choking and from that point, he, and his cousins, worked hard on Whatapp and messaging groups to organise the care she needed. “All the services that should be there are non-existent,” he says candidly of his home country, which is wracked by political turmoil, poverty and a high crime rate which he himself experienced first-hand being held up at gunpoint several times.

Dividing up the duties, he and his cousins worked day and night of trying to find and pay for her oxygen, medicines and care she needed in a system that has been “overwhelmed” by the virus.

With mounting medical bills, Evert says on Monday that it got to the point where they had to ask for help, and that's why the GoFundMe was set up.

Speaking of his mother's final days, Evert recalls sadly on a Monday a message from his mother where she told him she was getting treatment and not to worry. By Wednesday, she had passed away and he woke up to 30 missed calls and a voicemail to tell him the horrific news.

A happy, caring and loving person, his mother Belinda was loved by everybody for her kindness and he says all he is doing in his life was to share with her.

“She was my biggest fan. I could do no wrong,” he smiles, saying poignantly that his sister had planned to bring their mother to Spain soon, which would be closer to him, and all he wanted to do was look after her in her latter years.

With all of those plans now gone, he admits it's very difficult to come to terms with the fact he will not see his mother again but in another devastating blow, the family's trauma didn't stop there.

“She was cremated within ten hours and then there were PCR tests done on the family and it turned out everyone had it.

“My uncle, my grandmother, my mum's cousin, and her partner,” says Evert, who had to deal with more devastating news just last Monday that his uncle Gustavo had lost his battle too.

“He travelled eight hours to try and save my mother and he never made it back,” he says with tears in his eyes, adding that the rest of his relatives are still receiving treatment and are currently responding well.

Despite such tough times, Evert finds himself very grateful too; he is part of a community that supports him and is ensuring he doesn't feel hopeless in a time of unfathomable grief.

Thanking the many in Athlone who have donated to the GoFundMe page, he says it is making such a difference to his family where small amounts go far.

“If everybody that sees it puts in €20 – we have a saying the best way to fill a pelican's beak is with small fish. €100 pays for oxygen for a day,” he ends.

To donate, go to https://gofund.me/eb339cfb