Student excels despite medical condition

It has been almost four years since THE STAR has been tracking the progress of now 11-year-old Naja Lewis of Fleet Street in Parade Gardens.

The pre-teen, who was born with bilateral club feet, a deformity of the feet and ankle, is now a seventh grader at Camperdown High School.

Despite the discomfort associated with her medical condition, the youngster continues to excel academically, topping her class in the last school term.

"I love my new school. I have met a lot of friends, and I have caught on to the new subjects like French and have been getting good grades. I am not doing physical education now, but I believe I will be able to do so in the future. The teachers and students are really kind, and no one bullies me because of the way I walk or anything," she said.

Since birth, Naja has undergone several surgeries to correct her feet. The first occurred when she was just two months old.

In 2015, she did a major operation in which doctors placed the special leg brace (AFO) on her right leg and an iron cage on the left leg.

Her mother, Kerry-Ann Davis, said that although her daughter has come a long way since she was first featured in THE STAR in 2015, Naja is still in need of assistance.

"About six months ago, we had met with a team of doctors who said they were going to build a disc to go in her left leg, so now she needs a brace (AFO) for her left leg and that is going to cost at least US$900 (approximately J$119,492). And I really cannot afford that much. The time is cold now, so she feels a lot of pain, especially if it rains because she has a metal in her right leg. I am really appreciative of all the persons who have helped Naja throughout the years, and I would be really grateful (for more help)," Davis said.

Naja still walks with a slight limp, as one leg is longer than the other, and sometimes she loses her balance easily. As a result, Davis said that she hardly ever allows her to take public transportation and even accompanies her to school some days.

After THE STAR featured Naja's story in 2015, entertainer Tifa, who suffered from a similar affliction, partnered with Digicel to sponsor Lewis with a year's worth of school supplies. Tifa also purchased a new leg brace for the left leg after it was removed from the iron brace.

Anyone wishing to help Naja Lewis can contact her mother, Kerry-Ann Davis, at 876-863-6872.