Dear Editor,

I was heartbroken to read in the Jamaica Observer of April 15 Janice Budd’s story of my special heroine, Sarah Newland-Martin, and her degrading experience at the Norman Manley International Airport.

As a young journalist, how well I remember “covering” her heroic swim across Kingston Harbour where she emerged as a smiling winner. As I photographed her pulling herself legless from the water, shy but triumphant, in spite of a very painful jellyfish sting to one eye, I felt honoured to be able to tell her story. Her name has been synonymous with courage and fortitude ever since.

Several decades later we unexpectedly met up in Kingston at a Rotary function where we were both being honoured with Paul Harris Fellowships for “better understanding and furtherance of relations of the peoples of the world”. It was a moving reunion.

For this uniquely brave and sensitive lady to be reduced to tears by a seemingly uncaring, poorly trained and unthinking airport security attendant is unthinkable. I can’t bear to even consider how deeply demeaned and hurt Mrs Newland-Martin must have been as she suffered this tremendous humiliation.

More than an apology is necessary. Further training in the handling of disabled people must be a priority and Mrs Newland-Martin should, at least, be accorded a special pass that prevents this from ever happening again.

Marguerite Gauron

hmgauron@gmail.com