GoodHeart | Natasha Russell’s mission to support children with special needs
Published:Saturday | November 30, 2024 | 12:05 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
In the heart of downtown Kingston, Natasha Russell’s small but thriving school for special needs children has become a testament to resilience, love, and an unyielding commitment to her vision. Despite facing numerous challenges, including the concerns of her own mother, Russell remains determined to make a lasting impact. A clinical psychology graduate from The University of the West Indies, Mona, Russell sold her Mercedes-Benz to reinvest in her dream: a special needs school that would serve children with autism, ADHD and dyslexia.
“I had a nice car. I [sold it and] used the money to start the school; [I] put on the fence, [did] the exit [and] bought furniture. The school has absorbed my life, and that’s what we’re doing,” Russell explained to GoodHeart.
Seven years ago, Russell’s life looked very different. She was a married businesswoman juggling a career at The University Hospital of the West Indies and running CardiOVmeds, a business she founded that specialised in cardiac and vascular products to diagnose and treat heart conditions. It was a successful venture, known affectionately among her circle as ‘The Heart Mart.’
But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Jamaica, Russell found her business booming with sales of masks and other medical supplies. Yet, as cases dropped and demand for those supplies waned, Russell realised her priorities had shifted. The earnings from her business allowed her to lease and eventually purchase the building that would become EIGHT Institute
If you asked Russell how she transitioned from selling medical supplies to opening a special needs school, she would tell you it all started with one of her sons.
“I have a child who is high functioning ADHD and high functioning autism so the school that he was going to really did not understand him, so every time they complained and complained. As a trained clinical psychologist, I worked in the education system before, so during COVID, I decided to home school him and I posted that in the [parents’ WhatsApp] group [for the class] and on August 17, another parent called me to ask if I could help with her daughter; so I brought them to my office and then another parent came and we converted my office into a school,” Russell said.
She added, “Out of that three, word-of-mouth, and then after the first semester, all the children who came here not reading, they left reading and doing so well, and so the parents asked me to not let it be temporary, but approach the Ministry [of Education and Youth], so we did that, and we have been doing that ever since.”
Now in its fourth year, EIGHT is still waiting for government recognition and funding, as policy requires five years of operation before this can happen. Despite these hurdles, Russell remains focused on her mission: giving children who often fall through the cracks a chance to succeed.
“When you work with the autistic children, some parents may have a challenge paying, but how do I turned them back? We can’t, because this is a passion job,” Russell, the principal of the small school with 24 special needs pupils, said.
In May, the school’s work was recognised by the Chinese Embassy, which formed a partnership with EIGHT to strengthen ties between Jamaica and China while offering students the opportunity to learn foreign languages and other subjects. The support is a welcome boost, but Russell continues to appeal to corporate Jamaica for further help to keep the school afloat.
Beyond teaching, every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., after school hours and once most children have left, Russell holds a prayer session for those in need. Following the session, she distributes food and clothing that she has either donated or received from others.
“In life, you have to know the type of person that you are. You have foundation doers, and you have the persons who beautify. I’m a foundation [builder], so I go in when it’s hard.”