A summer to forget

WESTERN BUREAU:

Life will never be the same for the two children shared by Kayann Sterling and Horace Campbell after both parents died in separate incidents during the summer holiday.

However, Molly Campbell, the children’s maternal grandmother, told The Gleaner that their families will try to support them in any way they can despite having very little resources.

Molly is also hopeful that assistance will come their way as she and the children’s paternal grandmother, Beverly Wedderburn, take on the role of primary caregivers.

“It has been bad. Even now it is very bad because it worries me a lot that the kids have no mother or no father. This has affected us a lot. It has been very hard because we were thinking that their father would have been here to help both grandmothers,” said Molly.

Sterling passed away during the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 3. According to reports, the 33-year-old mother of two died after sustaining injuries in a freak accident in Green Island, Hanover. She was reportedly hit by a falling tree limb after exiting her home in search of cell service. Her body remained outside overnight until the category four hurricane moved away from the island.

Campbell, who is said to have been there with Sterling on the day of the tragic accident, was left devastated by her passing. Though heartbroken, he became focused on preparing their eight-year-old son for his return to primary school in September while assisting their 16-year-old son with the next step of his education journey, his mother told The Gleaner on Sunday.

Families in shock

However, Campbell will not see his son decked out in the new khakis he purchased for the upcoming school year as he died in a motorcycle accident on August 9.

Molly told The Gleaner that their families have been left in shock by the tragic ending of both lives. However, she has been left with a big void after losing Sterling, her only child.

“She was so loving and nice. She was working at a hotel in Negril, and they said that she was a very nice lady. They lost a very loving worker. She used to do housekeeping,” Molly said.

As for Campbell, Molly said “he was a loving person, too”.

“He took care of the children, and they were with him after their mother passed away,” she further explained.

While noting that the two boys have experienced major trauma and loss over the summer, Molly is looking forward to brighter days as they seek to continue pursuing their education. Sterling passed away on the day her elder son was scheduled to graduate from high school.

“They are going on okay. They were here with me, but they are now with their other grandmother over by their father’s house. The big one told me that he wants to go the HEART school. I got an [application] form for him, and he filled it out, but they told me that he must be at least 17 years old before enrolling,” she told The Gleaner.

Molly added: “The young one, he is just eight years old, so it’s like he doesn’t even understand. He knows that mommy and daddy died. He seems to be okay because I don’t hear him talking about anything, but I don’t know.”

In the meantime, Molly said she is hoping that financial and psychological assistance can be provided to support the boys’ schooling during this difficult situation. She shared that though their families have not yet decided on the children’s primary residence, they are trying to put things in place to help them.

“Because at this time, I am not working. I’m a sick person. I am asthmatic and hypertensive,” she said.

The boys’ paternal grandmother further told The Gleaner that her other children have stepped up to assist.

At the same time, Molly is grateful for the well-wishers who have made efforts to comfort her family as they work through this tragic period.

In a written response to The Gleaner, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) shared that plans are afoot to contact the bereaved family this week.

“A member of the CPFSA first responder team is scheduled to make contact with the family on Monday, August 26, 2024, to arrange a visit with them to not only check on the well-being of the children, but to also note the psychosocial support that they and their family members will require.”

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com