D’Angel brings ‘joy’ to injured B.B. Coke student

Shantel Gouldbourne, the mother of the B.B. Coke High School student who was beaten unconscious, allegedly by a grade 11 student last month, is expressing appreciation to D'Angel and her team who visited the family last Friday and made presentations to her son and his friends.

Gouldbourne, a mother of three boys, told THE STAR that the visit meant a lot to her son, who is recuperating and has not been back to school since the incident in September.

"The visit was great and we enjoyed the time that D'Angel and her team spent. All the boys who assisted Jaheim to the doctor were here ... except one who arrived after they left ... and they all got gifts. She showed love to all of them. They didn't have to do this, but they came in a bus all the way from Kingston and the visit did make a difference ... they brought us joy," she said.

D'Angel shared that her foundation partnered with Blingzz Nation Foundation for this project. The dancehall artiste said that both organisations have joined forces for what she called "a mission for change".

"CEO of Blingazz, Andre McKoy, and I have similar goals and our first stop was Jaheim Coleman. Our message to him was that he has a purpose and it's because of God why he's here. So I want him to not worry because he's not alone and this will be a testimony for him to let other survivors of incident like these know that there is hope," D'Angel said.

She added, "Meeting all the boys was a great feeling... so much love in one place. Marco-Dean [her son] showed the boys a little self defence."

Although 14-year-old Jaheim looked serious in the pictures, his mother said that his spirits were lifted.

"Sometimes he looks happy and another time he looks sad. He doesn't talk about the incident at all," Gouldbourne said. Jaheim was transferred from Trelawny to a Kingston hospital for treatment. Gouldbourne shared that he has a follow-up CT scan this week. With the matter now before the court, Gouldbourne declared that everything is in God's hands.

"And we are here giving the family our full support. We also know that it will not be an easy road to recovery but to Jaheim I say, stay close in God, He will pull you through. Also, have faith and know that God is in control," D'Angel said.

In June, D'Angel released the single Pray for Love and stated that one reason she had to record this song was the upsurge of violence in schools.

"My hope is to make a change through this song by taking it in as many schools as I can right across Jamaica to spread the message of love, unity, education and hope," the Stronger singer said.