Losing a child is one of the most heart-wrenching pains a parent can endure – President Ali

– as he attends funeral service of infant accidentally killed by father

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday joined family and frie nds of the Kiritpaul family as they gathered to pay their last respects to their 20-month-old son, Adan Kiritpaul, who died on Saturday last after his father accidentally ran him over while he was reversing out of their De Hoop Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) yard.
The Head of State offered his sincere condolences to Adan’s family and laid a wreath in the child’s honour. The President, who is a father of a toddler himself, empathised with the young couple.

“To the young father and mother, grandparents, relatives, your faith is being tested, your faith is being tried, I ask you to be patient; I ask you to be resolute in your prayers, to be stronger in your devotion to God Almighty and to come closer together as a family.”
“Comfort each other, surround each other with love and spend more time together. While it does not bring complete healing, it gives us an opportunity to re-connect in faith and hope. So, my prayers are with you. My prayers will continue to be with you. I pray that your lives be strengthened, that patience be given to you, and that the love of your child continues to live in you and with you forever,” he said.
The President also noted that losing a child is one of the most heart-wrenching pain a parent can go through and that he understands the void that is left in their lives. The Head of State added that there is no doubt that young Adan brought tremendous joy and tremendous happiness to the family.
“We all know, those of us as parents, how different it is when a child is in the home and how comforting it is to have them there. The essence of the family has to do with the children themselves. We celebrate their accomplishments, just like our parents celebrated our accomplishments. So, one can only imagine the pain of a parent, the pain of a family when we have to let go of a child. I’m lost for words to express to this family.”

President Ali added that support to the family is critical to help ease their pain.
“Importantly, we all could contribute to the easing of that pain, through our prayers, through our thoughts, through our kind words. Here is where the support of the wider family becomes more important, to give that support, that encouragement, that love… It is times like these that a true meaning of community, family, spirituality and communion among members of the Mandir become critical in giving that support.”
Nevertheless, close family and friends, as well as residents from the community, turned up in their numbers to offer their condolences. After the service, young Adan was cremated.
President Ali was accompanied by Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Peter Ramsaroop; Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lenox Shuman, Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally, and Justice (Ret’d) Cecil Kennard.