Desperate mom seeks help for mentally ill daughter

Ann Marie, the mother of a Portmore, St Catherine woman, is at her wits' end as she seeks help for her 25-year-old daughter, Jane*, who she says is suffering from schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder.

People who suffer from schizophrenia interpret reality abnormally and may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behaviour that impair daily functioning and can be disabling. People with schizophrenia may require lifelong treatment.

Ann Marie said that she becomes emotional very often as a result of her daughter's condition.

"Mi sit down a cry, because I don't know what else to do. She wasn't born like that, and we try everything inna di book to make her better. The doctors even increase her medication, but it nah work, so I don't know. It pain mi heart, because men abuse and sexually molest har. People take advantage of mi child because she sick; and is like mi can't control her," the distraught mother said.

Ann Marie said that her daughter enjoyed a normal life until she was about 14 years old, after she began hanging out with the wrong crowd.

"She start smoke weed; and long after mi hear say people put coke inna weed give har. Mi carry har go over Spanish Town Hospital dem time deh, and she start act crazy. She move from deh so and go University Hospital, and afterward, she was placed in a children's home, and when she left deh suh, she go Bellevue," said Ann Marie.

The mother claims that Jane, at times, act violently towards others, despite being on medication.

"Dem try with har, and she get injection and pills, but she still behave same way even after she take it. Sometimes mi wonder if is a spiritual thing a gwan. Sometimes she get mad and mash up di windows inna di house and tings," the desperate mother shared.

In 2020, Jane left her family and entered a life of prostitution.

"She leave di yard because is like mi mada couldn't control har, and she violent. So one day, mi get a call say she round a 'back road'. Mi tell mi next children to go fi har, and as dem go fi har, she go back 'round deh. About two years ago, mi hear say dem come fi kill di person who a pimp har, and she did stand up side a him and get shot inna har belly."

"When she get shot, her intestines were pushing out. She have an operation fi do because her belly mash up, eno. We nuh have it, but we up and down with her. A yesterday (last Wednesday) we go fi har a hospital because people chop har inna har face. Right now, her eye black and blue and she have stitches in har face. People buss up har head with gun and give her black eye. She is very violent.

"One time, she and a family member kick off and she start get bipolar and stab up some people car tyre, and man start run har down with shovel and stone. She just need help. When she ready she throw stone after mi, but mi love har same way," Ann Marie tearfully admitted.

"Mi would love if after she do the surgery mi could get har go in a rehabilitation house or something, because it's too much for me. It pain me heart to see har like this. She wasn't born like that. She was a sweet child growing up, and now a bare advantage people a take a har," Ann Marie shared.

* Name changed to protect identity.

Ann Marie may be contacted via telephone at (876) 827-8174.