A close-knit Anguillian family originally from South Hill, whose academic members have made the island proud, has extended its love to the community in a unique manner.
The family’s matriarch, Mrs. Vivian Bernadine Niles, a dialysis patient, died in Miami, Florida, on December 31, 2018. Her body was brought to Anguilla for the Thanksgiving Service, at Maranatha Methodist Church, which was held on January 19, 2019. Rather than flowers at her funeral, the family collected money instead and turned it over to the Dialysis Unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Anguilla – to help save the lives of an increasing number of patients there.
The family includes the patriarch, Mr. Collins Niles, a well-known retired boat-builder, now living with one of his children, Mrs. Jenniffer Niles-Arango, an English instructor at Miami-Dade College in the United States, as his deceased wife did. Three of their other children are: Methodist Minister, Rev. Jefferson Niles, who served in various parts of the Caribbean, including St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, where he held the appointment as Superintendent Minister before relocating to Fulton, New York, with the permission of the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas to serve the United Methodist Church for five years; Dr. Julian Niles, a Physicist and a Computer Engineer; and Dr. Jacquin Niles, a Professor of Biological Engineering and a Scientist involved in research work in malaria parasites.
Speaking to The Anguillian newspaper, at the Clayton Lloyd International Airport on Thursday, January 24, ahead of the presentation of the donation to the Dialysis Unit by his siblings, Rev. Jefferson Niles said: “Our mother died and we felt it was appropriate to bring her back to Anguilla. She loved Anguilla and kept abreast with everything that was happening here. Her funeral was held on Saturday, January 19, 2019. My father, Collins Niles, had this idea that instead of having flowers and wreaths etc., a collection offering should be taken at the service and the proceeds go to benefit the Dialysis Unit at the Hospital in Anguilla.
“We were here mourning – but celebrating a life we believed was well lived. We are returning [to the United States] and looking forward to keeping in touch with our native Anguilla and the progress it is making.”
Rev. Niles continued: “Based on a report from the Church, the cheque was US$1,339. 89. The service was held at the Maranatha Methodist Church in Blowing Point. Two representatives from the family, Dr. Julian Niles, my older brother, and Dr. Jacquin Niles, will be on hand at the Dialysis Unit this afternoon [January 24] to make the presentation.”
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the two academics said they were pleased to make the donation to the Dialysis Unit noting that both their mother and a relative were dialysis patients. They commended the Health Authority of Anguilla for its dialysis work and hoped that other donors would join in assisting the unit with its service to the island.
Mr. Malcolm Webster, Facilities Manager at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, expressed gratitude to the Niles’ family members for their thoughtful gesture of appreciation and assistance. He assured them that the very useful donation would be well used. It was intimated that it would go towards a diabetes awareness workshop later in the year.
The Manager of the Dialysis Unit, Nurse June-Gay Raynes-Christopher, thanked the family – for their timely donation – on behalf of the CEO of the Health Authority, Mrs. Demis-Adams; Executive Managers and the Staff of the Dialysis Unit.
“Over the years, the number of persons needing dialysis treatment has increased and will continue to increase,” she continued. “Our goal is to raise awareness of the high and increasing burden of kidney disease, and the need for strategies for prevention and management. Primary healthcare intervention, through education, has become a key focus.”
At present there are eight dialysis machines and sixteen patients receiving treatment at the hospital.
