Mother desperate to help son walk properly

Enaka Morrison appeared hopeless when she visited ' THE STAR' offices on Monday.

She looked down on her 18-month-old son Jazaun Brown, who was sleeping peacefully in her lap, and a tear trickled down her face. The mother of three said that she is finding it challenging to financially provide for the two that she is responsible for. So difficult are things that she is unable to come up with the $6,000 that is required to purchase a pair of orthopedic shoes for Jazaun, who was born with clubfoot.

"I just can't afford it. People might say $6,000 is little but mi can't find it. Mi want mi son to be able to walk properly so him can have a normal life, and the doctors dem say dem can help mi, but I need the shoes first. Mi a beg anyone who can help mi out with it, if them could please do so," she said.

Clubfoot is a deformity in which an infant's foot is turned inward, often so severely that the bottom of the foot faces sideways or even upward. Doctors are usually able to treat it successfully without surgery, though sometimes children need follow-up surgery later on.

The 31-year-old woman said she had a normal pregnancy but, after Jazaun was born, some of her relatives began pointing out the deformity of his legs.

"But mi never did a take it serious and a play stubborn towards it. When him catch five months, mi see it and dem keep on a tell mi say mi must carry him go hospital. Mi carry him to hospital and dem tell mi what was happening, but dem say, for dem to be able to help, him have to get di shoes first," she said.

Morrison's other children are age seven and two years old. She said the two-year-old is autistic and currently lives with his father. She said her other two babyfathers are not a part of the children's lives.

"Sometimes I can't find food to give the children and a lot a time we go bed hungry. Mi beg a lot to take care of them but mi seven-year-old daughter don't like it. She feel shame when mi do it and she cry sometimes. She always a tell mi to try see if mi can get it some other way and see if mi can get some help. Mi go on TikTok and people bash mi over there and shame mi and say mi must go sell mi body. So mi don't do it anymore," she said.

She said she has sought assistance from PATH and is waiting on a representative to do a home visit. Morrison said that she dreamt of becoming a nurse when she was smaller but is not the best at academics.

"I can't read or write and I realise it hold me back a lot in life. It prevent mi from getting a good work, suh a mostly cleaning mi can do. Mi would take a job if mi could get it, or go back to see if mi can get something in mi head. But, right now, everything just hard. Is $12,000 mi pay fi rent and is almost three months now mi don't pay. It rough," she said.

Persons wishing to assist Enaka Morrison, may contact her at 876 215 1734.