‘Best Christmas present ever’ - Prayers answered after Manchester mom wished upon The STAR

Jodeon Davis-Lawrence picks up her 16-year-old son Nickardo King from his bed and carries him from his bedroom to the veranda, where she carefully places him in his wheelchair. She gently adjusts his head and places a cushion behind his neck for comfort, rubs his head, and then secures the safety belts in his chair.

The teenager suffers from cerebral palsy and requires constant care and monitoring.

She smiles brightly as she welcomes the news team and NCB's executive, Lloyd Richardson, and Digicel's Georgia Nolan to her home in Heartease, near Royal Flat in Manchester.

The 34-year-mother of two is a recipient of the Wish Upon The STAR promotion, which is a collaborative effort by telecommunications firm Digicel, NCB Foundation and THE STAR to bring Christmas cheer to persons. The partnership sees recipients being gifted with $50,000 in cash and prizes in time for the holidays.

Davis-Lawrence told THE STAR that she will use the proceeds to assist in taking care of Nickardo.

"I have never won anything yet, but I decided to enter because I am in need of assistance for my son. For all of his 16 years, this is the first time I have ever got help with him. I have tried in the past, but it never comes through. I am really grateful and I want to thank THE STAR, along with NCB Foundation and Digicel. This is the best Christmas present ever," she said.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's movement and muscle tone or posture. People with cerebral palsy can have problems swallowing and commonly have eye muscle imbalance, in which the eyes don't focus on the same object. Some persons affected by the condition might have reduced range of motion in various joints of their bodies due to muscle stiffness.

Gently rubbing her son's shoulder, Davis-Lawrence told the story of her struggles with Nickardo. She said that when he was four months old, she realised that he could not control his head movements. His development was slow, and doctors diagnosed him with cerebral palsy at seven months old. That was devastating news for the then teenager, who had dreams of watching her son participating in sporting activities and going on dates.

Davis-Lawrence said that it took her five years to accept that it would require nothing short of a miracle for her son's condition to change. The mother, who has a nine-to-five job, said Nickardo requires round-the-clock attention.

"It can be really hard, as he is unable to do anything for himself. He wears diapers, and he doesn't eat normal food because he doesn't chew, so I have to give him cereal. He suffers from seizures, so he has to be monitored constantly," she said.

"He cannot sit for long because he will start feeling pain. That is the only time he will cry. He cannot say where it is hurting, but he feels pain. He has outgrown the wheelchair; that is probably the cause. Other than that, he is a happy child," she added.

Getting him a wheelchair is still at the top of her wish list. She also dreams of restarting her chicken-rearing business.

"I have to have an income separately for him because of what he eats and to purchase diapers, and so on. I have a chicken coop and I began raising chickens, but it has dwindled down. I would really want to restart it. I would also like a wheelchair for him because, as I mentioned earlier, he has outgrown this one. I would be really grateful if I could get one," she said.

Jodeon Davis-Lawrence may be contacted via telephone at (876) 850-4941.