Barbados News
“Always up, never down,” Kemar determined to walk again!
BY LA SHAWNA GRIFFITH
Thirty-year-old Kemar Holder-Edghill is a sports enthusiast who was involved in a rugby accident in 2018.
The accident led to his left foot snapping, ruptured all of the ligaments in his leg.
Holder-Edghill in his interview said that he was told after his incident that he may lose his leg. When he heard this, he sat quietly in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and cried.
“December 8th, 2018, I injured my left leg playing rugby in the Barbados 7’s tournament where I had dislocated my knee and ruptured all of the ligaments in my leg. I had serious nerve damage in my foot. My doctor told me that I was lucky because I could have lost my leg. It cut me deep and I started to weep while shaking my head. At that point so many questions were running through my head.”
Holder-Edghill who holds a Bachelor’s in Physical Education is a trained Physical Education teacher and coach was deeply gutted by the news as a few months prior he had placed 3rd in the 2018 Strongfit Competition.
“I became depressed following the incident from the doctor because I knew my sporting career was over. I did have the support of my family and friends, and I am grateful for all of them being there to help me through my rough time. However, despite me having them I was still coming to grips with the fact I could not play sports again.”
The certified physical education teacher said his friend Nathan John decided that he could no longer sit at home and dwell on his injury, so decided to start taking him out of the house to cheer him up.
“Nathan got me out of the house by taking me places to get my mind off the situation. I also had another friend Jefferelli Jackman who would check up on me every day even though he lives in Orlando. The list of persons who helped me out is long, but I want to tell every one of them thanks for everything.”
Holder-Edghill however decided that he was not going to accept the bleak prognosis that he could lose his leg; instead he would fight every day to ensure that he was able to walk again.
“I was praying one day, and I told myself that I was strong, and I could not allow my prognosis to get me down. I then remembered what my friend Wilando Morris said, ‘always up never down’ and I go by this every day. I subsequently resumed teaching and coaching.”
Almost three years after his ordeal, Holder-Edghill can walk again. However, he has some challenges, as he cannot pull his left leg up or outwards.
“The journey has not been easy for me at all. There were times I was depressed and wanted to give up, but because of the support I received, I pushed myself to get back close to where I was before the incident. One thing that I can say is that once you have strong support and faith in God you can get through everything.”
The Physical Education teacher and coach explained he may need to have surgery on his leg to have full mobility and is currently awaiting the advice of a nerve specialist on what his next move is.
Persons who wish to assist Holder-Edghill in his journey to full functionality in his left leg can feel free to email him at holderedghill5@gmail.com.