Mother struggles with daughter’s cerebral palsy

Mervalin Sirjue from Spanish Town, St Catherine, has been sitting helplessly as one of her twin daughters has been in pain for 16 years.

Qunyque Watson was born with cerebral palsy, while her sister, who was born one and a half hours before her, is completely able bodied.

Sirjue told THE STAR that Qunyque also has club feet, a condition where a newborn's feet are rotated internally at the ankle.

"It has been very difficult for her. She's not able to stand or to walk, so she moves around on her knees in the house. It's not really painful for her in terms of moving, but painful as a result of not being able to stand. She also has stiffness in the legs and at the ankle," she said.

Symptoms vary

Cerebral palsy symptoms vary among people, and may become evident at different ages. Often, symptoms include weak muscles and tremors. Sirjue says that her daughter's symptoms weren't noticeable very early.

"Her own showed after she was three years old. We did surgery at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, where they released the tension at the heel. When she was smaller, she had a 'squint' ... her eyes were cast like. But now, it is not as bad as first," she said.

Qunyque was delivered via Cesarean Section (C-section), while her sister was natural birth.

"Her sister didn't experience any of this. At five years old, she (Qunyque) went to school for the first time ... basic school. From that, she has never been to school again. She's 16 now and she never go to a primary school and she never go to a high school," she said. "All the schools that I went to said they don't have the nurse aid, they don't have the facilities to care for her."

The concerned mother then turned to her last resort - the Ministry of Health.

"They asked me if I would be able to go to the school and stay there to look after her, if they get her in a school. I said I wouldn't be able to stay at the school, because I'm a single mother and I would like her to get in a school so I could get to work," she said.

At present, Sirjue is hoping and praying that there's somebody willing to help and make her daughter's life more comfortable.

"I want help for her to do surgery, to go to school so she can get her education, and be able to take care of herself and have her own life. The specific type of surgery I would say is releasing the tension at the ankle and at the hip," she said.

Anyone who wishes to assist Mervalin Sirjue with her daughter can contact her at 876-461-8719.