Shock as St Mary teen dies from apparent suicide

The overcast skies on Wednesday bore testament of the broken spirit of residents of Sports Road, Islington, St Mary, following the apparent suicide of 19-year-old Tammika Atherton on Tuesday.

Her mother, Viola Kelly, sat staring into oblivion, as she questioned her youngest child's actions.

"This a the new year gift she give me, a me wash belly yuh know. This girl don't know no sign of no problem. A the prettiest, sweetest girl in Sports Road. She very loving and nice," a distraught Kelly said.

Kelly and her partner, Diamond Reid, were a picture of despair, as they reminisced on Tammika, affectionately called Nikky, who they said had big plans for this year. Among them was to celebrate her 20th birthday on February 20 and to attend a Jamaica Constabulary Force recruitment drive.

"Me tell her say when she turn 20, me want her fi stop the bar work and try fi educate herself in a system fi try, you know, bring up herself. And she say 'Yes, mi fada, yuh know a dat me ago do. Yuh notice say me not even a do nuh more bar work because someone tell me say dem a look a work fi me in Kingston'. Me tell her say me a proud of her," Reid recounted, sharing their last conversation on New Year's Day.

Kelly is refuting media reports that her daughter attempted suicide previously and was found hanging from a tree near their home.

"Nothing like that, nothing nuh go so. She nuh inna no problem, she nuh short a nothing. Me wash dutty clothes, me do everything fi care fi me pickney dem. A seven pickney me have and she a the last one. I was not here, I was in Annotto Bay a tek care a mi bigger daughter children, and me and her talk early in the day and she ask me if me okay," the grieving mother said.

Reid told THE STAR that he was shocked when he found Tammika's body hanging by a length of rope.

"Me affi bawl out and slam me hand pon the barrel cover and say, 'Nikky, weh di b********t yuh do dis fah?' And me hug her up and cut her down and put her body pon the bed and ting. Me start do CPR immediately, mouth to mouth resuscitation. Everything me know, me try fi do. Him call her [Kelly] fi show her wah happen and me black out immediately. Me nuh memba how fi put the phone pon video call," Reid shared.

Moments after the grim discovery, Kelly called her relatives and informed them of the shocking discovery. Relatives quickly ran to Kelly's house to transport her to the Port Maria Hospital.

"All when we inna the car, me still a try pump her chest. From right here [Islington] to Port Maria, if yuh nah tek the highway, about 12 miles and I can tell you, that man [Tammika's boyfriend] take 'bout eight minutes fi reach down there. All while the man a drive, him a look behind him and a talk to her, a ask her 'How yuh fi do this to me inna the new year?' Me affi beg him fi keep him eye pon the road," Reid told the news team.

Residents of the quiet community remembered Tammika, a past student of Iona High School, as a smart, respectable and jovial young lady.

"The devil is walking around because this is not like her," one female resident told T HE STAR.

"That likkle girl basically grow in my hands, she is so nice," another resident said.

If you or your loved one requires mental health support, call the Mental Health Suicide Prevention Helpline: 888-NEW-LIFE (639-5433) or go to the Ministry of Health and Wellness web page to schedule a free counselling session.