Single mother struggles to care for autistic daughter

For the last 11 years, St Ann mother Juliet James has been the sole caregiver for her autistic daughter Shamani McPherson.

James said that while she loves her daughter endlessly, she has reached her breaking point and is calling out for help.

"She can't talk, she's autistic, she wears pampers so I just need some help for her," she told THE STAR. "She can't talk. Sometime when autistic tek har [when she throws a tantrum], she knock har head pon di wall and she bruk down the bed and bruk down the settee. Mi just get fed up and mi need help fi har." James said that Shamani's father died tragically when she was only four years old. James said that since the pre-teen reached puberty, caring for her has become almost unmanageable.

"She a see har period now and she a mess up har self and a pee har self. She going to affi do a likkle surgery fi fix har brain so she can go to school," she said, relating what she said she was told by doctors.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behaviour, for which symptoms generally appear during the first two years of life. It has been estimated that one in 34 boys and one in 144 girls globally will be diagnosed with the disorder.

James, who works as a market vendor, told THE STAR that lately the amount of care that Shamani and her seven-year-old brother require has been taking a toll on her mental health.

"Mi feel depressed, mi feel like fi give up, that's why me call. Mi just try fi get every number fi call people all over the world fi see if me can get help because me fed up. Most a the time me feel fi put rope pon mi neck how bad it is fi see how me alone with har fi 11 years and now me nah manage," she said.

She continued, "Me just need anything, funds, food, pampers. Mi have a account weh me deh save likkle likkle so das mi can do har surgery, because me really want fi do har surgery. So if anybody have any contributions weh dem can contribute to her, God will bless unuh."

Person s wishing to aid Juliet James and her daughter Shamani can contact the mother at (876) 832-8682