As Table tennis coach Dennis La Rose is seeking financial assistance as he tries to rebuild his life after losing his left leg earlier this year.
La Rose says a surgery that "went wrong" left him facing major medical complications and since then, he has been struggling to make ends meet, only able to coach players once a week.
Our Vinod Narwani and cameraman Devon Parker visited La Rose at his small cabin in Maraval, where he opened up about his daily battles and his plea for help.
00:00This is Denis Larose, a table tennis coach who has worked with many junior national players.
00:07Despite being afflicted with polio as a child, Larose never gave up in life.
00:12Instead, he moved forward and his love for the sport even saw him representing the red, white and black in parrot table tennis.
00:18A few months ago, things took a turn for the worse as Larose had a 2 infection which meant he had to have it removed.
00:26He says it turned out to be a botched operation which exacerbated the situation.
00:31As a result, his left leg was amputated. He says getting assistance from social welfare has become an issue.
00:39Well, since 2003, I've been trying to get public assistance as a differently able person.
00:47And I wasn't working at the time. Then I started teaching table tennis.
00:51And up to now, everything you call them, they get to run around, they're promising, you know, and you ain't getting no help.
00:58A couple of years ago, I got a court release from them.
01:02Because Kormirans did a story. And they got a court relief.
01:08And when they done, I called them back. They said they can't do nothing because their hands are tied.
01:13And they got 200 people, so they can't help.
01:16Larose still coaches youngsters attached to local club Karanaj Blasters, but only on Saturdays.
01:23In fact, he should be doing so three times a week, but transportation from his home in Marival to Karanaj is expensive,
01:30whereas he gets a free ride to the club on the day that he does his coaching.
01:35For someone who has played for TNT on the international stage, he feels totally neglected as he's living in penury.
01:43It is very frightening because for the last 15 years, I've been representing the country as a coach, junior coach.
01:52When he was a successful junior coach, also an athlete, I have three medals to prove, like one medal.
02:01And then to see that the fraternity itself up to now has not left a finger to help.
02:07And I'm stuck in this way because there's nothing more I can do. I can't work anymore. I can't do anything.
02:13So I'm struggling to get club now.
02:16It's a poignant situation as Larose has to crawl in order to open the fridge or even use the bathroom.
02:23And with the help of his students, he sits in his wheelchair to attend coaching sessions.
02:29But it's still a challenge as they have to get past a slope to exit his home.
02:35When he was discharged from hospital, Larose was put in a home for three months in Woodbrook, which was more comfortable.
02:42But the rent was exorbitant, the cost being $4,500 per month, with some of the table tennis players assisting him.
02:51In order to continue coaching regularly and being involved with the sport that he loves, the 64-year-old requires assistance from anyone willing to do so.
03:01But what about the students he works with at Karanaj Blasters?
03:30Can that help him get by in any way?
03:33These are a couple of questions that may go through one's mind.
03:37Right now we don't have much students because of my illness. Most of them disappear. They stop coming. They don't come.
03:44And they don't get much help because it's not a popular sport. So you get less students and you get less help.
03:53Larose even remembers his days in downtown Ford of Spain with a begging bowl in order to get help from the public.
03:59And that too, so that he could fly the TNT flag on the world stage.
04:04I started to go to Citigate every Friday and Thursday. As a matter of fact, I make all my national team because I went to Citigate.
04:13Thanks to Sean Hillary from Citigate, I was given a space every Thursday and Friday.
04:19And the money I got sent me to go to International Trump Siren too.
04:24Those willing to assist Larose can contact him at 732-5544 or make a contribution to his Royal Bank savings account.
04:34That number is 11 followed by 07 times 757875.
Be the first to comment