COLD CHRISTMAS - Mom struggles through Yuletide season after loss of daughter

Despite the presence of the 'Christmas breeze', Neisha Anderson has found herself lacking the usual festive spirit. Seated in her yard on Love Lane, Kingston, she usually anticipates the Yuletide season but this year she feels broken as she will be spending the season without her only daughter, Michaila Chambers.

The 22-year-old died at the Kingston Public Hospital on August 2, eight days after being struck by two motor vehicles on Waterloo Road in St Andrew.

Anderson, reflecting on the void left by her daughter's absence, shared her struggles and the profound impact on their usual holiday traditions.

"I haven't done anything at all because I just don't have the festive vibe. Normally, during Christmas, I would buy some small household items to sell, and she would help me fold them. But that's not happening this year. If my daughter were alive, she would be helping me paint because we loved Christmas. She would be urging me to buy cake because she loved it, and sometimes, as soon as I bought one, she would finish it before you could blink. I miss her, and I just don't feel any energy, no little push," Anderson expressed.

Chambers is among the more than 400 persons to have died due to road crashes since the start of the year. Pedestrians, like her, account for 18 per cent of the road users killed as of Monday. She died approximately a month before her daughter's first birthday. Anderson shared that if Chambers were alive, she would be busy shopping and making preparations for her youngster's second Christmas.

"One thing I know is that she would be bustling and stressing about her baby this time. She always had her baby's best interest at heart, buying toys, clothes, and whatever else she thought would make her happy. A part of me is drained knowing that Michaila is not here with me, and it's the mercy of God that is keeping me, but a big part of me is missing," she said.

Recalling her daughter, Anderson described Chambers as very jovial and determined. Despite occasional disagreements, they shared a strong bond. Currently, no charges have been laid against the driver, and an ongoing investigation is being conducted by the police.

"There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about my daughter, especially since I have her little daughter with me. My granddaughter is very smart, just one year old, and she sticks to me. She has a lot of qualities like her mother, but more, a double dose. People tell me that God knows what he is doing because he gave me back another daughter. I will never forget about Michaila, and no matter how long it takes or how many years pass, I won't stop until I get justice for her," she said.