DHQ Carlene hosts nine-night for Pinky at Stone Love HQ tonight
Published:Monday | August 7, 2023 | 12:08 AM
A nine-night celebration in honour of the life of Doreen ‘Pinky’ Prendergast, the older sister of Dancehall Queen Carlene Smith, will be held tonight at Stone Love HQ on Burlington Avenue in St Andrew. Pinky, who was battling stage-four breast cancer in the lymph nodes, passed away on Saturday, July 29, at a hospice in New York, where she was residing.
Updating her fans on Instagram last week Sunday, Carlene stated, “Yesterday, at 3:15, Pinky passed. You guys know Pinky is my sister; we’re real sisters, it’s not just saying sister. You all know she was ailing with the deadly disease cancer for couple years. It got worse last year … I thought we were gonna get over this. Death is inevitable, we know this. But, I still thought we were gonna have more time with her.”
Carlene, who hailed Pinky as a warrior, shared that she was hopeful that her sister would have come through this “terrible disease” triumphantly, in the same way that she did when she was shot 22 years ago. She explained how Pinky had previously cheated death.
“Pinky got shot in the face at La Roose in 2001. When they called me they seh she dead and I said ‘No ... I would feel it.’ I went to Spanish Town hospital where she was and took her to KPH. A 9mm shot went in her face and exited through her ear ... three inches from her eye ... every bone in her face was broken,” Carlene told The Gleaner.
She added, “When I see Pinky pull through that, I was so hopeful that she would do the same again. She went from 93 pounds to 141 pounds ... she went from getting pints of blood to needing no blood. This thing took a financial toll on the family ... it’s very expensive. Pinky was diagnosed from 2018 ... but we did all that we could, even started a Helping Hands account for her. I swallowed my pride and did that ... but it wasn’t enough. I still blame myself for not having the wherewithal ... but God knows best.”
In February, a birthday celebration which doubled as a fundraiser aimed at assisting Pinky in her cancer fight, was held at MECA in Kingston, and featured performances from Sizzla Kalonji and Ricky General. Dancers, such as Mad Michelle and Kieva the Diva, were in attendance to show their support for Pinky who made her name in the dancehall as a dancer.
Carlene said that 59-year-old Pinky, who “never one day act like she sick”, had prepared herself for the inevitable and had not only given her life to the Lord by word of mouth, but she had also been baptised. Pinky had made a list of things that she wants to be done following her passing and included on that list was her wish to be interred at the May Pen cemetery in Kingston, the same place as their sister who passed away decades ago as a child.
“Pinky loved the dancehall and she and so many of the artistes were friends. Is Pinky introduce me to the dancehall and she was there with me every step of the journey. She told me to tell Ninjaman that she loves him ... Sizzla, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Stone Love crew... so many people. I’ve been crying for month and I know it will get worse before it gets better, but for now we have to get through this part of it and follow her list as best as we can,” Carlene said.