Naveen Menezes
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, May 28: The suicide of Gilbert Varghese, a resident of Thottam, Udupi, has come as a cruel blow of fate to his three children, who were yet to come to terms with the tragic death of their mother.
This is the heart-rending tale of the three children of Gilbert and Patricia Varghese, belonging to St Anne Church, Thottam. The eldest, Flevina Varghese (18), is a student of commerce in Milagres College while Melvin Varghese (16) attends pre-university college, and the youngest, Florina Varghese (9), is in the fourth standard.
Since 2004, the family has not seen happy times. Patricia, during her third pregnancy, was diagnosed with cancer. Gilbert, a daily labourer, who works at the fish harbour, had to spend all his savings to look after his sick wife. But she succumbed to the disease in 2007, leaving the three children under the care of Gilbert.
It was also a time when Gilbert had just started to renovate the house. He had obtained a loan of Rs 7 lac by mortgaging his land. However, it proved a costly move. The uncertain hours of work did not fetch the desired income. Meanwhile, he had spent heavily on the treatment and care of his wife. The debt doubled and he subsequently failed to repay the bank on time.
When Gilbert could not manage the financial constraints, he took the extreme step of committing suicide, leaving his children orphans.
With this, the three orphans are left with a heavy financial burden and no family. “As of now, our relatives have been helping us with our daily expenses. My aunt, who is in Mumbai, looks after my youngest sister. My brother and I live with our grandmother. We are helpless. We cannot repay the loan taken by our father,” she said.
The parish priest of St Anne Church, Thottam, in a letter to Daijiworld, said, “I strongly recommend the family be considered for generous help. They are poor but good, God-fearing, and service-minded. I appeal to donors to generously contribute for the children’s education, day-to-day expenses, and to enable them to clear their loans.”
Individuals, philanthropists and organizations are requested to help the youngsters in any way they can to enable the three youngsters live with dignity and look forward to a brighter future.
Those who wish to help them may send your contributions to the bank account mentioned below. Please note that it is a joint account in the names of Flevina and Melvin, and the name of the youngest sibling Florina, who is in Mumbai, will be added to the account soon.
Flevina Varghese and Melvin Varghese
Bank Account number: 120601011001011
Vijaya Bank, Thottam branch
IFSC code: VIJB0001206
MICR Code: 576029008
Contact: Flevina - 9742700411