8 years after accident left him paralyzed, Matthew Zaman dies – INews Guyana
Matthew Zaman, who had been paralyzed since a devastating motor vehicle accident in December 2017, passed early Wednesday morning. He was 15 years old.
Matthew was struck by a minibus along the East Coast of Demerara, rendering him completely paralyzed at only eight years old. His mother, Bibi Shanaz Khan, became his full-time caregiver, having left her job as a domestic worker to attend to his ongoing medical needs.
Following the accident, Matthew could not move, speak, or breathe independently. He relied on a feeding tube and tracheostomy for all basic bodily functions and was ventilated continuously. Doctors later diagnosed him with irreversible brain damage, concluding that long-term therapy might offer only limited improvement.
Despite that grim prognosis, Matthew showed some progress. With regular at-home physiotherapy from the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, he eventually regained minimal mobility: he was able to sit upright briefly with assistance and flex his limbs slightly.
The driver responsible for the accident, Andrew Albert, was charged with dangerous driving and initially released on bail. That individual, five years later, died in a separate accident before the matter could be resolved in court.
Zaman’s mother has long voiced her frustration that legal proceedings never culminated in accountability.
“I took care of him for years and never got any justice until the driver crashed up and died. I am praying to Allah to hold me up and keep me strong… this October he would have celebrated his 16th birthday…,” the mother told this publication.
Matthew’s passing marks the tragic end of an eight-year struggle. His mother said she now faces the difficult task of grief on top of years of devoted caregiving. The teen will be laid to rest on Sunday.
