Man wants wheelchair to help him earn a living

Shortly after his birth, Vincent Brown, 58, said he was infected with polio. To this day, the disease causes him great pain to simply stand or even walk, although it isn't always apparent to those who don't know.

But despite living with effects of the disease that has left him slightly paralysed, he doesn't sit around waiting for handouts. Instead he carves a wide range of items that he sells.

"Mi mek dem things out a bamboo and mi used to sell dem dung a town but nutten nah gwaan down there," said Brown.

He said he has been carving for over 30 years. In order to get sales for his creations, including cups, jewellery boxes, bangles and hair clips, he decided to hit the streets, ambling around until he later received a small bicycle.

"What I normally do is put them pon mi likkle bicycle and ride up and down inna mi community. I go Waterhouse, I go Tower Hill, I go all bout, and people support mi," he explained.

FALLING APART

But the bicycle is rotting and literally falling apart. Brown said that he has fallen off the cycle on numerous times because parts of it break while he's aboard.

And although he is not one for seeking handouts, he said that he would like a wheelchair that can help him move around easier.

"If I had a mobile chair, I could mek dem and put them on it and move around and sell dem on it, and do mi likkle hustling," he explained.

Along with his deformity, Brown has to make regular visits to the doctor as he struggles with hypertension and diabetes.

With the pains that he feels, Brown, who lives alone, is worried that one day, his legs will give way.

"Mi legs dem soon give up cause dem a pain me. Sometimes mi feel a lot of pain inna mi hip and inna mi knee," he said.

If he gets the assistance he needs, Brown vows to help those around him that he can.

"Mi want the help fi help mi self and help others cause mi like fi help others," he told THE STAR.

Anyone wanting to assist Brown can contact him at (876) 299-8851 and (876) 419-5634.