‘Stop spreading rumours’ - South Clarendon mother lashes out at persons claiming she neglected her child

A south Clarendon mother of a 10-year-old girl is lashing out at those she says are deliberately painting her as a bad mother.

Photos have been circulating on social media of maggots in a child’s head, with the allegations that the child, who is now in the hospital, was being neglected by her parents.

“Mi nuh understand dis, people need fi stop spreading rumour and get the facts straight. This is not my first girl child; the biggest one finish har final year at NCU (Northern Caribbean University). A me grow all a mi children dem, mi nuh gi whey none, mi nuh go whey left none,” she said forcefully.

Admitting that maggots were indeed in her daughter’s head, the mother said she only discovered that on Sunday (January 3) after washing the child’s hair.

In relating the events that led to the discovery, she told The Gleaner that her daughter has always had a “dry scalp” problem and her guess is that she must have scratched and cut her scalp.

“She kept telling me that she has a headache, but a never think it could be anyting like that. On Saturday (January 2) a wash har hair and because she fraid a har head, mi just part it big and ketch it up inna two,” she related.

The mother said the following day her daughter came close to her and she didn’t like the smell coming from her hair, so she decided to wash it again.

BIG SCREAM

“Sunday mawning mi feel di little lump inna har hair and mi part whey the hair and mi look and when mi seet (the maggots), mi let out a big scream,” she said, adding that the neighbours rushed over to find out what was wrong.

According to the mother, she had never seen anything like that. She surmised that one of the neighbours who came to her house, took the photo and started sharing it on social media.

“I don’t understand what was being said about mi. Mi just surprise about it. Somebody all a tell mi sey mi photo a go round ... all dem something deh mi nuh seet,” she said, sharing that she has four other children, with the 10-year-old-being the fifth and last child as she has three older girls ages 17, 22 and 23.

“Why dem a do dis ... why dem waan dem teck whey mi child from mi? When dem teck dem whey inna state care, what happen to dem, why dem a try do dis?” she kept asking.

The mother, who works as a security guard, said no matter where her job takes her, she has never neglected her children. When she was relocated to Westmoreland, she said she enrolled her daughter in a school there, just so that she could be close to her.