92-Yr-Old Alice D’Souza abandoned by ‘Adopted Son’

92-Yr-Old Alice D’Souza abandoned by ‘Adopted Son’

92-year-old Alice D’Souza is battling for her life in ICU at a private hospital in the City, diagnosed with Malaria and Jaundice- and the sad part is that she has been abandoned by her so-called “Adopted Son”, whom she had taken care for the last 25 years.

Mangaluru: Here is a story where we are trying to bring awareness among senior citizens when they trust someone whom they don’t know or try to adopt strangers without checking their background or take someone as a paying guest to live amidst them- Chances are that you may land up in distress like this 92-year-old Catholic woman, who trusted a man by allowing him in her house as a paying guest, later took care of him, his wife and his three children for the last 25 years like an adopted son- and now she has been abandoned and lying in the ICU bed at a private hospital near Urwa Market, no one to care for or pay her hospital bills which have crossed over Rs 1 lakh.

This neglected case of a Senior Citizen has come to the attention of Senior Citizens Helpline, and Lidwyn, the co-ordinator of the Vishwas Trust/Helpline is following up on this senior’s abuse case. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Lidwyn narrated the complete story, where she said, “Alice D’Souza who is now 92 years old, had lost her husband -Nicholas D’Souza when she was just 29 years old and had also lost her only son-Franklin D’Souza, when she was 39 years old. Ever since then, she was living all alone until, one person by the name of Arun approached her in 1991 to be her paying guest. And she readily took him as a paying guest “.

“As days, months and years went by, Arun became so close to Alice that she treated him like her own her son and the best part is that Arun started calling her as ‘mummy’. In 1991 Alice had sold her property in the city and bought a flat at Duke’s Manor in Matadakani- and the same year Arun had moved into this flat. Though she had purchased the apartment, but she had not registered it and she had entrusted all the work to Arun himself. However, Arun had reportedly registered the apartment in his name, and even though Alice came to know about it a few years later, she thought that her so-called “Adopted Son” would take care of her during her old-age”.

“We have learned that Arun, his wife, and their three kids, who were staying with Alice D’Souza, three months ago had abandoned Alice and she was living all alone. On June 30, 2016, when she too got sick, and no one to care for her, her neighbors admitted her to the nearby private hospital near the apartment, where she was diagnosed with Malaria and Jaundice. The whole incident came to light after Alice D’Souza’s hospital bill mounted over Rs 1 lakh and the hospital management filed a complaint against Arun, who initially arrived at the hospital after getting the information, – he was made to sign the ‘consent form’ in the hospital, but refused to pay the hospital bills, saying that he didn’t admit Alice to the hospital, the neighbors did”.

“Although Arun had assured the police when they had brought him to the hospital after a complaint was lodged against him, that in future he would take care of Alice, but was reluctant to pay the hospital bills. In the meantime, Arun had also filed a complaint with the Barke police that gold jewellery in his (Alice) home was missing and suspecting the neighbours.

As per the neighbours, we heard that Arun even took all the furniture and kitchen items from the home,and Alice too confirmed the same, when we asked her. It is also learnt that Arun has mortgaged the apartment and is presently running a paying guest facility near Kudroli wherein more than 25 students are staying as paying guests”.

“But we heard from one of her neighbour is that Alice looked after Arun, his wife and three sons just like her own children all these 25 years and she alone brought up the children as both Arun and his wife who is a teacher were out of home throughout the day and this is what he paid her back for looking after them so well. Yet another neighbour had said that at least Arun’s eldest son, who has completed the engineering course, could have visited the lady in the hospital since Alice had taken good care of him, even changing his diapers for many years, and caring him just like her grandson, and what kind of respect she gets absolutely nothing” added Lidwyn.

Lidwyn further said that they will proceed the case in the court through Assistant Commissioner Ashok, and will see that justice is served to Alice D’Souza. “Our main intention is that such kind of treatment and abuse should not happen towards senior seniors. We are hoping for the best, and see that Alice is not in distress anymore” added Lidwyn.

If you come across any Senior Citizens abuse/harassment/ torture etc please call the ‘Senior Citizens Helpline’ at 0824-1090