The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AN Andros resident is the latest casualty of COVID-19, having died from the disease on Saturday.

The death of seventy-five-year-old evangelist Gloria Maria Curtis brought the COVID-19 death toll to 190. Eight additional deaths are currently under investigation.

Curtis’ daughter, Maria Tate, recalled her bid to save her mother’s life. Her mother died on Saturday, April 10, and is believed to have contracted the virus from her husband.

“I spoke with her the Sunday before and she was talking quite strong just like how you and I are talking now,” Ms Tate recalled. “She was more concerned about my father because he had it (COVID) and he is the one who took care of her. She was in a wheelchair.”

Ms Tate, who currently resides in Grand Bahama, made a promise to her mother to get to Andros as soon as possible.

“I told her I would come to Andros as soon as I could,” she said. “I arrived in Andros on Tuesday afternoon after going from Grand Bahama to Nassau and then catching a flight out to Andros that afternoon. When I arrived, my mother was burning up with fever.

“I rubbed her down in vapor rub, but by Wednesday evening she also had shortness of breath and her chest was making a whistling noise. I called the doctor and asked him to come and look at her, but was told we had to bring her to them. My mother was very heavy, so I had to wait until I got help. So, we had to wait until Thursday when we had help from my nephew and sister.”

Ms Tate, the third and oldest daughter of seven children, said when her mother was taken to the clinic, she was given medicine in a drip and put on a machine to assist with her breathing. By 1pm that day, her mother was put on an air ambulance headed for New Providence where she later died at the Princess Margaret Hospital. Evangelist Curtis had pre-existing conditions.

“The nurse told her she had pneumonia, but we knew what it was,” Ms Tate continued. “She got it from Daddy. He took care of her. My mother was in a wheelchair and she had sugar and high blood pressure.”

Ms Tate said the family, now left with her mother’s memories, are preparing for her funeral.

Picewell Forbes, member of Parliament for Mangrove Cay and South Andros, hailed Mother Curtis as a great citizen; one who always shared a sense of hope.

“My family and families across the Mangrove Cay, South and Central Andros constituency join in extending condolences to the Curtis family of Bowen Sound,” Mr Forbes said. “Mother Curtis was a great citizen, really an exemplary missionary and deaconess in the local Pentecostal Association of the world church in Bowen.

“She was one who shared and cared for young, indigent and challenged families of her local settlement and by extension Central Andros. She joined her husband in volunteering to do annual community cleaning in their local settlement. She always shared a sense of hope, optimism and Christian counsel wherever she travelled, especially.”

Mr Forbes said the community of Bowen Sound has lost “a princess” and fine daughter of Andros.

“It goes to show that COVID-19 is a continuing concern of our country and Family Islands are especially challenged with accessibility to good health care,” he continued. “Hopefully these occasions would remind our national government of the need for polyclinics and more well extensively trained healthcare professionals.

“Once again our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”

There are 9,460 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in The Bahamas. And, to date some 15,000 Bahamians have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.