Mangalore: Funeral of Jacintha Saldanha to take place On December 17 in Shirva

Mangalore: Funeral of Jacintha Saldanha to take place On December 17 in Shirva

www.mangaloretoday.com

London, Dec 15, 2012: The family of Jacintha Saldanha have described the "unfillable void" left in their lives after a mass was held for her at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday.

Saldanha, 46, was found hanged in her nurses’ quarters at King Edward VII hospital by a colleague and a security guard on 7 December.

 

The nurse took a hoax call from an Australian radio station, where two DJs were pretending to be the Queen and Prince of Wales. They were transferred to a colleague who described in detail the Duchess of Cambridge’s condition during her hospital stay for severe pregnancy sickness.

The mass was held "for the repose of the soul of Jacintha and her grieving family", a spokesman for the cathedral said. Following the service, Saldanha’s widower, Benedict Barboza, and two children, Junal and Lisha, described her as a "kind-hearted, generous and well-respected woman".He thanked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the prime minister, David Cameron, for their condolences.

Fighting back tears, Barboza said: "My wife, you were the light in my darkness, who always showed me the way forward. From the day we met, you always stood by me in times of hardship and happiness. I feel a part of me has been ripped out.

 

"Without your beautiful smile and sparkling personality, the house is an empty place to live. Nineteen years of togetherness with a strong bond of affection and understanding will be cherished forever in my life. Your loss is a very painful one and nobody can take that place in my life ever again. I love you and miss you forever."

On Friday, after a private memorial service for Saldanha at the hospital, its chief executive, John Lofthouse, said senior management had repeatedly reassured the nurse that she was not to blame.

Writing in reply to Keith Vaz MP, who said Saldanha’s family needed to know the "full facts" of what happened, Lofthouse said: "Jacintha believed that the call was genuine and she felt it appropriate to put the call through. We stand by her judgment.

"Following the hoax call, Jacintha was reassured on a number of occasions by senior management that no blame was attached to her actions and that there were no disciplinary issues involved, because she had been the victim of a cruel trick."

Lofthouse said Saldanha had been offered a range of support, including time off, but decided to continue working. "Jacintha said that she would prefer to continue working. Neither ourselves, her friends or family noticed anything to give cause for concern," she said.

At Westminster Cathedral, Junal said: "Our mother, kind-hearted, generous and a well-respected woman in both of our lives. You were the core of the family who kept us together. In times of difficulty you showed us the way forward to happiness and success.

"Your priority for us was a good education and a bright future. You taught us right from wrong which we appreciate. You worked tirelessly to give us everything that we have today. When we achieved good grades and merit, your pat on our backs encouraged us more."

 

Funeral on December 17, at Shirva

 

"The coffin carrying Jacintha’s body is expected to arrive here from London via Mumbai Sunday afternoon and will be taken to Shirva Monday for last rites and funeral at the local cemetery around 4 p.m.," Udupi Superintendent of Police M. Boralingaiah said.

Jacintha’s husband Benedict Barboza and her son Junal,16, and daughter Lisha,14, will accompany the coffin from London to Shirva. "The coffin will be kept in Mangalore for the night at a mortuary or a place the family will decide. The place could also be the residence of Jacintha’s mother, who lives in a suburb of Mangalore with her son and another daughter," Boralingaiah said.

Security arrangements are being made in Mangalore and at Shirva to maintain law and order and ensure no untoward incident takes place.

Shirva is the homo town of Barboza where his mother and sisters reside. It is well known for growing jasmine flowers.

"We estimate about 5,000 people to attend Jacintha’s funeral at Shirva, including VIPs and local officials. The coffin will first be taken to the local church for mass and then to the Catholic cemetery for burial," Boralingaiah said, quoting the family.

Mangalore diocese Vicar General Dennis Prabhu and Mangalore Archbishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza will hold a prayer service in the local cathedral Sunday evening where both the families, their relatives and friends will be present.

Her funeral will take place in Shirva on Monday, December 17, her family said.