Teen needs facial surgery after accident

Devaun Campbell, 17, who had his sights set on becoming an officer in the engineering regiment of the Jamaica Defence Force, is clinging to the hope that he will have facial reconstruction surgery to help him actualise his childhood dream.

Tanesha Cousins, Devaun's mother, has launched an appeal on local crowdfunding platform RealHelpingHands to raise US$15,000 (approximately J$2.35 million) to assist with the treatment for her eldest child.

"I really need the support, because him coulda dead. The doctor told us that the implants are very expensive, so we are just trying to get the support as much as possible, so we can get his facial features back together. He is so young and it is really hard for him right now, and he is very emotional about it. He is full of potential and has much more to achieve," Cousins pleaded.

Since the launch of her campaign to assist her son's medical needs, US$1,764 has been raised. Cousins further noted that the Jamaica College Old Boys' Association has joined in the effort. According to Cousins, her son was riding a bike downhill in Irish Town, St Andrew, when he lost control and collided face-first into a parked car on a cliff. He became unconscious after the fall and sustained multiple injuries, including broken bones, a split tongue, and the loss of teeth.

"I was surprised when I get the call that he crashed. I almost died when I heard. He can't speak properly now, because his tongue is still swollen because they [doctors] stitched his tongue. So you can't really hear what he is saying. When it happened, I was told that he didn't want anyone to see him. He didn't want anyone to see him looking like that, so I have to get counselling for him when everything is done," Cousins told THE STAR.

The stressed mother described her son as jovial and respectable, and one who loves to dance. The lower sixth-form student at Jamaica College was also an active member of the cadet unit and had achieved six subjects in the recent sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations.

"When I heard, the only thing I asked is if he was walking and if him can see. I just wanted to know that his brain wasn't damaged," Cousins said of the devastating call she received on October 13. Cousins told the news team that her son was recently discharged from the University Hospital of the West Indies and is at his father's home recovering. He has a scheduled consultation with specialists for facial reconstruction later this month.

Those seeking to assist Devaun Campbell may contact Tanesha Cousins at 876-292-7764 or taneshacousins@yahoo.com.