The Tribune

By Dr Kenneth D Kemp

THE recent solar eclipse lasted just four minutes. During those four minutes, many parts of the world were cast into total darkness and, collectively, we were all reminded of the awe and mystery of this planet. In those moments, I couldn’t help but wonder what our ancestors thought of such a phenomenon. One can safely assume they didn’t have safety eyewear to protect their confused gazes as the day’s light suddenly disappeared without explanation. They also didn’t have the comfort of knowing that the acute darkness was fleeting. So, while four minutes for us felt short and we wished it could last longer. For them it must have been terrifyingly long.

We do not often stop to think about how far we have come in our ability to spread a message like why the sun has vanished. In the early 1900s, there was no way for anyone to broadcast what was happening. Neighbours likely congregated and speculated amongst themselves over the causes. The telephone hadn’t been invented; a heartbreaking scenario for a wife and mother whose husband and kids were not at home. Then when the eclipse was over and all seemed well, I’d imagine that for months on end, it replaced all manner of typical gossip fodder and became the prevailing topic of conversation. But after the vanishing sun re-emerged and the world didn’t end, how many people took that opportunity to change their lives for the better?

Every new year across the world, resolutions are made and goals set for some form of life improvement, but few who make them stay the course. Old habits are not easily broken but since fear is a great motivator, I think it’s safe to assume that watching the sky turn black in the middle of the day made at least some of our ancestors more appreciative of life. Thinking you may die at any moment can do that.

And yet, I see so many patients on a daily basis who face burgeoning health challenges but refuse to address the reason why they became sick. The younger the patient, the more hubris in expecting to defy the odds and escape death; a sense of immortality is the right of the young who ignore the reality of the obituaries. With age comes wisdom and although he’s just 38, Aristotle, the patient featured in today’s story, has gained a lot of wisdom through life experience that he’d like to share. Just as our ancestors were likely changed by the experience of seeing the sun vanish, Aristotle will never forget the fateful night two years ago that changed his life forever.

Aristotle (his real name) was born in 1985 in West Palm Beach, Florida, to a white mother and black father who was already well into his fifth decade. Both of them were ill-prepared to care for another child and at two weeks of age, Aristotle’s father gave him to his younger brother, who lived in The Bahamas and already had seven children of his own. He was still more than happy to open his home and heart to another child. For Aristotle, it was his saving grace.

The family lived on Kemp Road and he recalls his youth being filled with a lot of laughter, playing with his cousins (who he refers to as his brothers and sisters) and fishing in Abaco during summer breaks. Though genetically biracial, he was the only white-looking child in the neighbourhood. While his complexion made him stand out, he always felt like he was amongst family. After high school, Aristotle went to Canada to study marine engineering and he ended up in the maritime field working on small yachts and giving charter tours. It was a simple and happy life and his future was filled with countless possibilities until Christmas night, December 2021. He was walking home from work and ran into a man (hereafter referred to as Damien) who he’d seen many times before in their neighbourhood.

Damien asked Aristotle for some money. When Aristotle refused, Damien became agitated, that agitation growing as seconds, then moments, passed, until it turned to panic and desperation. Aristotle tried to walk away. Enraged, and without warning, Damien took out a knife and stabbed Aristotle at the back of his neck. The force of that initial blow was so powerful that Aristotle fell to his knees. A shockwave of pain exploded within Aristotle’s head and neck before descending towards his lower torso. Aristotle was frozen and laid in shock as Damien stabbed him repeatedly in his back yelling and screaming with each hammered strike before running away under the cover of darkness.

It was 11pm, Christmas night, so the street was completely empty and remained that way until morning. Aristotle laid there choking on his blood as tears rolled from one eye and into the other. He couldn’t feel any pain and that worried him more than anything. Clinging to the hope that someone would soon find him, he stayed awake for about an hour before losing consciousness. It wasn’t until 7am the following morning that police sojourned the side road where his body lay and found his bloodied body barely clinging to life.

Aristotle regained consciousness one month later in the intensive care unit at Princess Margaret Hospital and he spent another year on the ward of the hospital recovering from his injuries. For the first six months following his attack, he was completely paralyzed from the neck down but shortly thereafter, through prayer and hard work, he regained movement in his upper body. From then until now, he’s seen no progress in his lower body. Aristotle admits that the hardest adjustment following his attack was the loss of his independence. He has at last learned to feed himself and use the restroom, major accomplishments. He prays that someday he’ll be able to walk.

As soon as Aristotle regained consciousness he told police who stabbed him, but with no proof, Damien was never charged and is free today roaming the same neighbourhood. Aristotle says that he hasn’t seen him since that night of the attack and even if he did, he’s not sure what he’d say to him. His take home message to everyone else is to take advantage of everyday because anything can happen. He also reminds us to be careful of the people around you and to always be on guard when walking alone.

Aristotle plans to get a second opinion when funds allow with a specialist abroad who may have had more cases similar to his and can recommend a course of rehab and treatment that will allow him to walk once more. His support system is in full effect and he is incredibly grateful for his adopted mother (aunt) and all his siblings (cousins). Unfortunately, his uncle (adopted father) died a few years ago as did his biological parents and his two biological siblings who lived in the US.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon travels between the Sun and Earth and in a rare moment of cosmic grandeur, day is turned into night. If nothing else, it reminds us all that there is still so much that we don’t know or understand about our planet and human existence and provides an opportunity for us all to reflect on our lives. Because when the sun vanishes, there is never a guarantee that it will return. Similarly, no day is promised and when we wake up each morning, there is no guarantee that we will live to see nightfall.

When asked how he’s doing, Aristotle responds that he is very grateful to be alive. This chapter of his life is still being written and miracles happen every day. Everyone has moments of darkness he says, but always remember that through God’s love and grace, solar eclipses don’t last and even without any guarantees, he remains hopeful that in time the sun will shine again.

This is The KDK Report.

• Nicknamed ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Bahamas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.