BROWN’S TOWN RALLIES TO HELP FAMILIES IN GREAT NEED

When Kim Brown-Lawrence came upon a teenage boy exiting the cellar of a dilapidated house at Orange Hill in Brown‘s Town, St Ann, she immediately knew that something was seriously wrong with the living condition of the family who occupied the one-bedroom structure. The small board and zinc structure was in such a state that its occupants, a woman and her two sons, age 17 and 12, along with her 10-year-old nephew, were left to the elements and to danger. The conditions for sleeping, eating and just living were bad. Lawrence, who is working to become the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Brown‘s Town division, took to social media, Facebook in particular, to highlight the plight of 35-year-old Amelda Schlifer, better known in Brown‘s Town as ‘Spider’ and her family.   Already, she has received assistance with building material to construct a proper structure and four men from Brown‘s Town — Nehemiah Virgo, Allan Walker, Christopher Virgo and Trevis Richard  — have offered their services free of cost and have been constructing a block and steel structure for the family. She said the family has already received three beds from people who have just responded to the appeal for help.Lawrence is again appealing to kind Jamaicans, especially people in Brown‘s Town and St. Ann to offer assistance as much more is needed beyond putting up the walls of a house.

FISH FRY

And because she has taken on the job of helping two other families, MrsBrown-Lawrence is putting on a fish fry this week Friday, January 23, as a way of offering more people an opportunity to contribute while getting back something in return.”This has absolutely nothing to do with politics, it’s non-political, this is strictly on humanitarian grounds,” Lawrence said.Lawrence said while she has received some help much more was neededin the form of building material, clothing, food and furniture as well as monetary help. Additionally, the family has no electricity and they need help getting water into a tank which has been repaired, with Lawrence’s help.The children who are not attending school also need school uniform and books.

MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS

Lawrence is also seeking help for a Middle Buxton mother who has been paralyzed for six years, with a mysterious, undiagnosed ailment and who has been struggling to send her promising 15-year-old daughter to a high school in Brown‘s Town. Althea McFarlene, 38, has no idea what has caused her to become paralyzed from the waist down, and up until a year ago when she frequently visited the hospital, doctors were unable to tell her the cause of her illness.   Lawrence said McFarlene is being cared for by her elderly parents but they (parents) are experiencing challenges caring for their sick daughter. She explained that the family has been without electricity for four years and the Jamaica Public Service has said $300,000 is needed to reconnect power to the premises. Four years ago when JPS representatives visited the premises they reported that the meter had been tampered with.  Thelack of electricity at the home has seriously affected McFarlane’s daughter in many ways including her study, already set back by money issues..Earlier this month the mother received a wheel chair from Mind Body and Soul. Lawrence said. “Being paralyzed with two elderly parents and a 15-year-old and no electricity, it’s hard.” Lawrence explained that at the time of her visit, McFarlene had not been to the hospital in a year and was suffering from beds sores. “When I went there the mother said she hasn’t been to the hospital in over a year so I went ahead and I got an ambulance to pick her up and she saw the doctor,” Lawrence said McFarlene has received medication and that her bed soars are healing. She is appealing for help to provide McFarlene with medical supplies, food, reconnect the power and to assist her daughter in school. Lawrence said she has opened an account at the National Commercial Bank in Brown‘s Town for people who want to make monetary donation to either of the families. She is also hoping the funds will help a man with an amputated leg. The account number is 714159526. Persons can also contact her directly at 375-2999 or emailtytanyabrown@yahoo.com.