Ayana’s family makes plea for a helping hand

Three-year-old Ayana Wilson cannot hold a ball and play like other children her age. Even holding her sippy cup is a challenge, as a condition affecting the nerves in her shoulder and arm has left her with limited use of her left hand.

Without surgery, her parents fear that what she cannot do now could become a lifelong limitation. But there is hope for the little girl.

Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia has agreed to perform the surgery free of charge, with the procedure scheduled for November 9.

However, getting Ayana there is proving to be another battle for her parents, Rosalee Eccles and Aeon Wilson, who are appealing for approximately J$3 million to cover travel, accommodation, transportation and more than six weeks of therapy in the United States.

unfamiliar healthcare

For the couple, who have never travelled overseas, navigating a foreign country and an unfamiliar healthcare system is daunting. The financial burden, against the backdrop of their daily struggle to provide for their three children, makes the journey even more difficult.

They live in Riverton City, one of Kingston’s toughest communities, where survival often demands resilience and resourcefulness. Wilson works with the National Solid Waste Management Authority, while Eccles hustles from day to day to help make ends meet.

At one point, getting their youngest child the treatment she needs seemed beyond reach. With the hospital’s assistance, however, there is now hope that Ayana’s condition can be addressed.

choked with emotion.

“I have always heard people talk about foreign, and I have always wanted to go, but to get that experience and it is like this... . This is really not how I wanted it... not because my baby is sick,” Eccles said, her voice choked with emotion.

“It is just very traumatising, but I look at it and say, ‘Boy, we can’t give up. We have to do our best for her’,” Wilson chimed in.

“The longer she stays like this, the longer she is going to have to live with it for a lifetime. So we have to try all the best we can do to save the use of her hand. Right now, it is just the funds that we have to come up with.”

The parents were reluctant to cast blame on anyone last Thursday, despite recounting the difficult vaginal delivery of their nine-pound daughter at Victoria Jubilee Hospital three years ago.

Eccles said she had attended routine clinic visits and undergone ultrasounds throughout her pregnancy, with no indication of complications.

After the delivery, however, she said she was told that the baby’s arm was not moving properly — news that has led to years of worry.

Ayana was later diagnosed with Erb’s palsy at Bustamante Hospital for Children. The condition involves an injury to a network of nerves connecting the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and hand. Depending on the severity of the injury, it can cause muscle weakness or paralysis and limit movement in the affected limb.

Last week, Ayana’s left arm hung awkwardly at her side as her parents lifted her. Her playfulness turned to frustration as they showed her affected limb to another stranger. Even at three years old, she appeared bothered by the attention it drew. Using their own version of sign language, her parents instructed her older sister to comfort her. She tried.

While the offer of free surgery has lifted some of the burden, the family must still find the money to make the journey and support Ayana’s care during her stay. This comes as they continue to struggle to meet their day-to-day expenses.

Eccles’ older daughter attends school in Papine, miles away in St Andrew, and cannot rely on regular public transportation. The family spends about J$7,000 each week to get her there. Ayana, meanwhile, has started attending basic school in the community, bringing another set of expenses.

“It is with the help of God that we are really hanging on. I am a strong believer in God, and I never really decided to give up,” Eccles said.

vulnerable Jamaicans

The family’s appeal is being supported by Crisis Support Charity, which assists vulnerable Jamaicans facing medical emergencies and other hardships. The organisation grew out of the Burn Foundation of Jamaica, established in 2021 to help burn victims access treatment and rehabilitation.

For co-founder Stephen Josephs, donations have been coming in, but slowly.

“I would implore corporate Jamaica to put a welfare item in their budget. This will actually be a lifesaver. We have seen where that has helped to save many lives,” he said.

“The welfare item will help you to pivot and give you the latitude to work around the ‘perimeter fence’ that they would have created budgetarily.”

Josephs said the charity had received some promises and donations towards Ayana’s treatment, but more assistance was needed to meet the J$3-million target.

“For Ayana, we have received some promises, and we have received some donations, but the cost is J$3 million and so we are still encouraging corporate Jamaica to come on board. When we come together, we will see greater impact, and certainly, where Ayana is concerned, an opportunity to spend this Christmas coming back to Jamaica brand new,” he said.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com