BY FABIAN LEDGISTER, Staff Reporter
Delano - FILE
SOME SAY THAT Delano Thomas' eye problem is a medical condition, while others whisper that its an elaborate ruse for publicity, and recently Elephant Man rasied the question in his song, single Promise.
The general manager and selector for Renaissance told THE STAR of his ordeal, in which he suffered a stab wound to his LEFT eye in a robbery attempt at a Lady Musgrave premises, back in April, 1995.
NEVER FEEL SO FRIGHTEN
"I was chillin wit a girl, when mi hear some noise like someone a break in, so before mi could even see di robber, him start stab mi all over," lamented Thomas.
The Vineyard town born selector was subsequently stabbed in his back, neck, right thumb, and his left eye. He was rushed to the University Hospital of the West Indies, where he was entered in a state of critical condition.
"I never feel so frighten in mi life, because mi know mi did damage, but suddenly I started throwing up blood and slipping in and out of contiousness .. .it turned out that the stab in my eye had severed my retina, and punctured my sinus," recalled Delano.
Though the doctors at the local hospital hadn't realised the severity of the eye injury, they quickly surmised from their later findings that Delano needed to be flown abroad to an eye specialist for reconstructive surgery.
After doing the first operation in Jamaica, Delano flew to Florida, where he was admitted to the 'Bascom Public Hospital' in Miami. The selector went 'under the knife' two more times, and doctors were eventually successful in re-attaching his retina.
"To how the damage was severe, I didn't know if I was even coming back. That is why when I did come back, Renaissance crew and Yardies seh mi need to get revenge, an that is what dem name my welcome back party," stated Thomas.
Seeing that Delano had left the island in the prime of Renaissance's rise in 1995, they saw it fit to hold a 'welcome back' party for him, and thus 'Delano's Revenge' was born.
WHICH EYE?
After eventually removing the protective gauze covering his eye, doctors recommended that the selector wear a patch to prevent light from entering that eye.
Though some sceptics say that the selector made up the 'stabbing' incident as a publicity stunt, citing that the patch has changed from the left eye to right in pictures, Delano simply ridicules their ignorance.
"Sometimes photographers invert a picture for whatever reason dem have, so some people feel seh a lie mi a tell," laughed Thomas.
The selector does, however, admit that aside from doctor's recommendation to wear a patch to block light, he said that fashion is a factor in his choice of eye wear.
"Doctors said I should protect the eye from light, but the patch has become synonymous with my image, so mi wear it for style as well," stated Thomas.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to