Mom of son with special needs blessed twice

When Jodeon Davis-Lawrence decided to try her luck at the Wish Upon The STAR promotion, made possible through Digicel, NCB Foundation and THE STAR, she had no idea she would have won.

But what has added even more joy to her life is the donation of a much-needed wheelchair from the NCB Foundation, courtesy of Tank-Weld Ltd, for her son, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy 16 years ago.

"Today it is just a follow-up from the grant a wish promotion ... coming out of her interview was a need for a wheelchair for her son. We reached out to our partners Tank-Weld Ltd, who graciously gave us this wheelchair. We made sure to have it here before Christmas, so they could have a wonderful Christmas," said Lloyd Richardson, head of the financial centre, National Commercial Bank, Mandeville Hub.

Cerebral palsy affects an individual's movement and muscle tone or posture, and can often reduce the range of motion in various joints of their bodies due to muscle stiffness and other issues. This has caused Davis-Lawrence's son, Nickardo King, to rely heavily on a wheelchair, along with the assistance of others, to get around.

The 34-year-old mom said it is extremely difficult to care for Nickardo as he needs constant monitoring, but she is happy for the help that she has now received.

"I am super excited and I am appreciative of everything that has been granted unto me ... . He had outgrown that (old) wheelchair and from time to time when you put him in [it], he cries a lot so I figured he was feeling pain. This one will help him to feel a bit more comfortable," she said.

Revealing that she still continues to be faced with hardships, Davis- Lawrence told THE STAR that her plan is to restart her chicken-rearing business to help with her son's expenses, and even that of other children with special needs. She encouraged parents of special-needs children to stay strong.

"I didn't know I could have done it because it has been really, really hard. But don't give up," she said. Richardson said the NCB Foundation, which has given over $15 million towards various causes this year, is always ready to continue making its presence felt, where possible.

"We not only think about the money aspect of the business, but we think about touching lives, and that is what NCB Foundation is all about. We ask persons to reach out to us and tell us what their needs are so we can meet some of these needs. We want to help the community as best as possible...," he said.