In life, there are few words that no one wants to hear and among those words are perhaps the most feared ones “you have cancer”. Hearing those dreaded words brings a different level of darkness to one’s life and for Randy Persaud, it seems as though it was just yesterday he heard them.
It was just a few months ago that Randy got to hear those words and for him, it was certainly unexpected. Though being relatively healthy throughout his life, the 19-year-old never expected that he would have received such a diagnosis.
“I was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer. I was very lucky to have it discovered at stage one and I was relieved to know that a surgery would be needed to prevent the cancer from spreading. To be a teenager and to learn that you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, it makes you think about a lot of things and the first thought that came to my mind was, ‘where there is a will, there is way’ and I had a will to continue living and accomplishing my goals and not once did I think ‘it’s my time’ or ‘I’m going to die young’. I knew I had too much more to live for and that’s what I kept repeating in my head the entire time when I was going through surgery,” Randy said.
Whenever he woke up after his diagnosis and treatment, Randy would speak to himself in the mirror reassuringly because he knew that he had a full life ahead. He wanted to make his dreams a reality so he drew the will to fight. Though his cancer was caught in the early stages, Randy had extensive treatment and the journey was far from easy.
Those dreams Randy speaks of, all revolve around the aviation sector. Growing up in the East Bank Demerara village of Sarah Johanna, Randy was always in close proximity to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and quickly developed a fascination with the “iron birds”. This fascination was fueled by his parents as they did everything in their power to ensure that he could dream and make those dreams a reality.
“I always loved fixing things and then I knew what I wanted, I wanted to fix and fly aeroplanes and that was my motivation in my journey through both primary and high school. As I got older I realised how essential an aircraft engineer was to the aviation sector and also how underrated and underappreciated they are but how exciting it was also. People ask me all the time if I love flying more than fixing the plane and my answer is always the same, ‘I love both fields dearly but if I had to choose, just give me my toolkit’.”
To fuel that passion of fixing the “iron birds” Randy got himself into Air Services Limited Aeronautical Engineering School at the EF Correia International Airport in Ogle. Without a doubt, the three years he spent there were considered the best since he got to be around the things he loved on a daily basis. He got the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the field and when his journey came to an end in February of 2019, he felt fulfilled as he made a step forward in the achievement of his goals.
“I think I appreciate fixing the planes this much because this was my first exposure to the aviation sector and I grew to love it and I became a part of me. Every time I put my uniform or my overalls on I feel a sense of pride knowing that I am contributing to aviation safety. I think my biggest challenge was grasping the concept, getting used to working in a highly regulated environment and getting used to following a manual for even the smallest task but it didn’t take long to grasp the concepts.”
While in Aeronautical Engineering School, Randy along with another colleague realised that students in the sector needed a voice also and they approached the then President of the National Air Transport Association (NATA), Annette Arjoon-Martins, and explained to her what they thought was necessary and for the first time in aviation history in Guyana, the students had a voice in meetings and planning to an extent.
Life as an aircraft mechanic is exciting for Randy.
“Aircraft mechanics know that every day is different and there is a new task waiting for you every day and that gave me an adrenalin rush every morning knowing that there was something new waiting for me every day. One day you could just be cleaning an aircraft and the next day you’re carrying out a powerplant replacement. The thing is, you never know what to expect but you’re always prepared.”
In his few years in aviation, there is one man who Randy now considers a second father and who has taught him most of the things he knows. That man is Ramon Alvarez, an aircraft mechanic from Nicaragua who started working at the same company Randy worked for in Guyana. “He treated the aircraft as if he owned it and he always told me to treat the aircraft like it’s mine and I look up to him as an inspiration and I hope to one day be half the engineer that he is.”
“Before my surgery, I met three people, Bernice Rampartap, Arnold Bernstein and Amiel Singer. These are people that I’ve never met before in my life yet when I moved to the USA, they took me in as one of their own and treated me like their own son. They are such a big inspiration to me with their hearts of gold and their soft souls.”
After his surgery, Randy received an offer to be a pilot with a Caribbean-based airline and has since begun his training with the company.
“As I move on with life, I’ve vowed to make the most out of it and live to the fullest because as I have learnt the hard way, things can take a turn for the worst in the blink of an eye. My ultimate goal is to one day return to Guyana and return to my toolkit as an aircraft engineer or as a bush pilot. It’s where my heart and soul rests.”
