Newsmaker: 7 school children die over 3-day period, shocking nation

This week's featured development as Newsmaker of the Week is a series of unimaginable tragedies that have shaken the nation, resulting in the deaths of seven schoolchildren in a number of incidents involving childbirth, motor vehicle crashes, gun violence, and a devastating house fire.

Jamaica has been shaken to its core by the series of devastating incidents involving children, leaving many Jamaicans appalled. The ages of the children range from eight to 16 years.

The tragedies, which unfolded in Trelawny, St James, Westmoreland, St Catherine and St Andrew, have left families, as well as communities, in a state of shock and mourning.

On Tuesday, 14-year-old Anna-Shay Campbell died at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine during childbirth.

A past student of the prestigious Queen's School in St Andrew, Anna-Shay had dreams of pursuing a career in real estate, according to her mother, Christine Campbell, who accused the hospital of negligence.

The family staged a protest outside the Spanish Town Hospital on Thursday to vent their frustration.

The elder Campbell said she specifically opted for her daughter to be given a Caesarean section (c-section), but a natural birth effort took place.

She wailed uncontrollably during television interviews, that her daughter's body was not prepared for a natural birth.

On Monday, while junior doctors were on strike, Campbell said she asked for a referral for Anna-Shay, who was in extreme pain, to be taken to Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

However, because of the strike, Campbell said she was told by medical personnel that such a referral could not be done at the time.

"I signed a document for my daughter to get a C-section because her body was too small, and she couldn't bear the push.

"Imagine now, they told me my daughter died from very long and hard labour. They said her cervix was damaged. They said her vagina was destroyed," Campbell told reporters.

Campbell said Anna-Shay was impregnated by a 15-year-old boy, and the boy's family has been supportive throughout her daughter's pregnancy.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Spanish Town Hospital, Jacqueline Ellis, confirmed that a probe is ongoing into the matter, and expressed condolences to Anna-Shay's family.

Ellis, however, denied claims that Monday's strike by doctors had any bearing with Anna-Shay's death, as enough senior doctors were said to have been available at the hospital.

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, has reportedly received a preliminary report into Anna-Shay's death, but he has opted not to provide details.

The day after Anna-Shay's death, two more young lives were lost in separate incidents, both as a result of road crashes.

Deanna Salmon, a 12-year-old grade seven student of Irwin High School in Montego Bay, St James, was struck by a Montego Bay Metro bus on Wednesday afternoon.

Reports are that Deanna was hit outside the school's compound and was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), where she died while being treated.

She sustained multiple broken bones and injuries as a result of the impact of the collision.

Daryl Vaz

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz described the tragedy as "heart-breaking", and expressed condolences to the family and friends of young Deanna.

He also appealed to members of the public to exercise compassion and respect for the grieving family and the Irwin High School community by refraining from sharing videos or images of the incident.

Just hours later, 16-year-old William Knibb High School student Rodrique Frank succumbed to injuries he sustained in a motorcycle crash on Sunday night in Deeside, Trelawny.

Reports are that Rodrique was thrown from a motorcycle he was driving on a roadway in his community on Sunday night. He is said to have lost control of the motorcycle.

He was taken to the Falmouth Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment until he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday night.

Examinations at William Knibb High School were suspended on Thursday to allow for students and teachers there to grieve for the grade 11 student.

Rodrique's uncle, Owen Watson, told reporters that his nephew had to be assisted with his breathing by an oxygen tank in the intensive care unit of the hospital.

Meanwhile, teachers at William Knibb High School described Rodrique as a disciplined child who excelled academically.

In a horrific turn of events, two eight-year-old boys, Jamar Reid and his nephew Romaine Powell, both students of New Hope Primary and Junior High School in Westmoreland, perished in a house fire in Whitehouse, also in Westmoreland, on Thursday morning.

The police have detained the mother of one of the boys, as well as her common-law spouse, as a probe continues into the incident.

Reports are that firefighters attached to the Savanna-la-Mar Fire Station responded to a blaze coming from a board and zinc house in the Whitehouse area at about 12:20 am on Thursday. During cooling down operations, the charred remains of both boys were found.

After conducting a preliminary probe, firefighters expressed the belief that an unattended candle may have caused the fire.

In response to those tragedies, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said years ago the Government began distributing solar lamps to families without electricity, offering them a safer alternative to the use of open flames in the house, especially at nights.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

"In light of this incident, I have instructed the Minister of Energy (Daryl Vaz) to accelerate the distribution of these lamps and fast-track the rollout of our ‘solar kit’ programme," Holness further stated.

"This initiative will provide households without electricity (with) access to affordable, easy-to-use solar solutions for lighting and small appliances like fans, radios and cell phones," he added.

As the nation struggled to come to terms with those tragedies, two more young lives were lost, this time in a senseless act of gun violence.

On Thursday night, 16-year-old Niquan Whitley of Meadowbrook High School and 14-year-old Jumain Henry of Oberlin High School, both in St Andrew, were shot and killed along the Airy Castle Road in Stony Hill, St Andrew.

Both were residents of the community.

Reports are that about 11:15 pm, residents heard loud explosions and called the police. On their arrival, the teens were found with gunshot wounds.

They were transported to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

The Major Investigations Division (MID) is leading the probe into the deaths.

Niquan, a grade 10 student of Meadowbrook High School, was popular among his peers, and was a member of the school's football team, according to the school's Principal, Kevin Facey, in an interview on radio.

The Ministry of Education, in a statement late Friday, expressed profound sadness at the shooting deaths.

“This devastating incident has sent shockwaves through the education sector and the wider community. The ministry condemns this senseless act of violence and extends heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and school communities of Niquan and Jumain,” the ministry said.

It added that comprehensive support is being provided to the school communities during the challenging ongoing period of time, with counselling sessions being conducted with students, staff, and the families of the deceased.

The ministry shared that Oberlin High has initiated home visits to provide direct support to Jumain’s family, while Meadowbrook High has invited Niquan’s family to participate in grief counselling sessions organised by the school.

As the country reflected on the past week of unimaginable tragedies involving school children, social media users extended their thoughts and prayers to the families and loved ones of the seven youngsters who have been lost.

Others commented on the circumstances surrounding the individual cases.

"It's tragic that a 14-year-old died while giving birth. Clearly, this mother failed to publicly acknowledge her shortcomings as a parent," a man wrote on Facebook relative to Anna-Shay's death.

In response, a woman said: "This is not the conversation here... her daughter died! The why and how she got pregnant is not relevant here and now.

"The why and the how cannot be sentenced to death. Let's put to the forefront... Was there neglect because she was a teenager?" the woman asked.

Said another: "I am terrified with the public medical system in Jamaica. Mommy (Anna-Shay's mother), wish u had stayed with her (in the hospital)."

In relation to the murder of the two teenagers in St Andrew, a woman opined that, "I think these criminals just love to kill; I've heard (that) in order to be in a gang you must kill."

Added another: "It is sad to see so many children dying this week, seven in total now, and these two latest deaths was by murder. We need to heal as a nation."

A male Facebook user noted that, "The state alone can’t solve crime. It needs the cooperation of every citizen to solve it.

"We the citizens are a part of the problem why crime will never be resolved. Read between the lines," he suggested.

In reacting to criticisms relative to the time of the murders of the two teenagers, a man said: "Don't be distracted by the hours they (the slain teens) are out; focus on the severe cruelty and the crime getting out of control by the hour."

In relation to the death of young Deanna, a woman wrote: "Soooooooo sad, condolences to her school family, her immediate family, and please pray for the driver of the bus because I understand he is traumatised."

Commented another woman: "Mighty God, please comfort the bereaved family, friends, well-wishers and the entire school body. What a tragedy! May her soul RIP."