Mother of five struggling to survive

Paulette Whyte, a 28-year-old mother of five, has been struggling to stay afloat after she fell ill last year.

Whyte's kidneys are failing, and this has crippled her ability to take up her responsibilities in her household.

"Me use to hustle, like buy things and sell like soap powder and stuff like that, and just walk around and sell. But the last time me buy stock to sell, me couldn't manage it and all the money me have me did have to use it up pon the pickney them," Whyte said. "Me cyah manage it because me a feel pain and me short a breath, so me just stay home since." She only became aware of her condition two weeks ago, after suffering for more than a year.

Confined her to a bed

"Me a bleed hard and a pass out some big clot, and me belly bottom a hurt me, but me never know is what. But a from last year me just start feel sick and get down slim. Every eat me eat, me bring it up, and me just a get mawga," Whyte said.

She said that her condition has confined her to a bed. Whyte and her children, ages 11, 10, eight, three and two, now depend on family and friends for help.

"Right now a just the mercy of God a help me carry through, and me friends them around me chump up and gi me likkle food or a $1,000, and me buy sump'n to eat," she said

Whyte said the father of her oldest child died when the child was very young.

"When one a me babyfather use to come round and give me a $3,000, $4,000, that can't really do nothing, but from me sick all a that cut off completely," said Whyte. "From me get down sick me can't even find money to go doctor. A me sister have to a walk around and beg donations."

Her living condition has also been unbearable, as the one-bedroom dwelling she occupies with her grandmother in Cockburn Pen, St Andrew, doesn't afford her space for the children.

"We cyah hold, so me affi in a the kitchen now. But in there still cyah hold, we afi bundle up," said the distraught Whyte. "Sometime me sit down and bawl when me see say me nuh have it fi give them. Trust me, it hurt me heart."

She is now appealing to the public for help, as she can no longer cope.

"Me just can't manage, God know. Me would a feel good if anybody help me, and me would a thank them because me need the help right now," Whyte said.

Those who wish to assist Paulette Whyte may contact her at (876) 804-1084 or (876) 773-0741