Family to hold birthday party for Jasmine Deen

It's been all of 274 days since Lloyd Deen last heard the voice of his daughter, Jasmine, some time after 9 p.m. on February 27.

Jasmine, a visually impaired student of the University of the West Indies, has not been seen since boarding a taxi after leaving school. Deen has been searching tirelessly for her for 39 weeks.

But this Saturday, he fears he will experience the worst pain and heartache, as it's Jasmine birthday. She will be 22.

"Me just a try hold me faith fi har birthday. Me a try. A di worse part of it yah now, because the longer it take, a the wickeder everything feel. Me nuh hear nothing from the police and me nah tell no lie, me caa believe. Me caa believe it. Me just nuh know wah really happen and me still a hunt fi my daughter. Me nah give up," Deen told THE WEEKEND STAR.

He recalls Jasmine's last birthday, when she gifted him a cellphone.

She always cook

"A the worse time a my life dis fi see har birthday a come and me nuh see har. She always cook and buy cake pon her birthday and the family link up. She always do it. Har last birthday she give me her phone an buy a new one fi har self. A just so she stay," he said.

Deen said the family will continue the tradition, as he and his three other children have plans to host a birthday party for Jasmine.

"Me and my other yute dem wah keep a likkle party fi har, so we can come together and ting, because a just me and them. Other people a go deh bout too, but a just me and my yute dem through all a dis. When we group up, sometimes that a the only way we feel better," Deen said. He said the ordeal has been rough on the entire family, but they are not giving up.

"The family still deh here a push through. We a try fi get something, but we nah get nothing. A di maddest thing! Me still nuh get no dream or nothing. But me just feel seh she alright," he aid.

Jasmine, who is of brown complexion, slim build, and is about four feet six inches tall, was last seen in Papine, St Andrew, wearing a white blouse and blue jeans.

After she failed to get home, Deen made a missing person's report with the Mona police the following day.

"Me caa live suh. And me nah hear nothing from police all now and me still want some justice. It hard. Me nuh think nobody understand. Me just nah hear nothing bout my daughter," he lamented.