Kerry-Ann Grant keeping the faith in God: Double tragedy leaves her struggling with motherless nieces

OCHO RIOS, St Ann:

It has been a rough period over the last few months for Kerry-Ann Grant of Great Pond in Ocho Rios, after the death of her only sister and her mother, just weeks apart, earlier this year.

But the young cook at one of the parish's hotels, is keeping her faith in God alive and believes things will eventually improve significantly for her.

For now, though, she needs help.

"Oh Jesus! It's more than help I need," Grant told Family and Religion earlier this week.

"I need everything that's good in life right now, I need a breakthrough in every way possible - job wise, taking care of the kids, I need a breakthrough."

Living with an extended family, things were always tight, but got even worse in May when her sister, Jenae Clarke, passed away.

"Unfortunately, my sister, Jenae Clarke, was suffering, she had some form of sickness which nobody could help. She passed away on the 26th of May 2015, leaving behind her two daughters, six-year-old Shenae Gallimore and four-year-old Tennae Wray."

But just a week after her sister's funeral on June 13, things took a turn for the worse for Grant when her mother, Marcia Campbell, took ill.

"They admitted her in hospital the same day we went there. She was suffering from jaundice, swelling of the foot, blockage of the digestive system, a lot of complaints. We had to do a CT scan that cost us $39,000; we had to get a bile removed, that cost $17,000. It was a lot of expenses after we just buried my sister."

Mom passed on

Despite the effort to save her, Grant's mom died on July 17.

For Shenae, who will be seven on October 21, the double loss of mother and grandmother in such a short period of time, seems to have affected her significantly.

Blessed with the personality of both mom and grandma, she is quiet and a bit shy.

"She has an idea of what has taken place," Grant explained. "If you ask her where is mommy, she gets sad, she goes into a corner and might start crying."

Tenae, on the other hand, although just four, is said to be outspoken and is usually jovial.

"If you ask Tenae, she jus' seh, 'Dem dead!' She is not fully aware of what is going on around her."

Left in an almost desperate situation, Grant is currently playing the role of mother, father, and grandmother to her nieces.

"My mother has three of us, so it's only two of us remaining, me and my brother. He's not working at the moment. I am the only one working and the children have to be going to school."

They attend Mount Zion Primary and Mount Zion Basic schools.

The father and other relatives of the younger girl help from time to time, she has admitted, but more needs to be done. For the six-year-old, Grant is on her own with her.

I have worked very hard over the years. I really work hard to help my family," Grant declared, with signs of what seems to be frustration.

"We live in a rented apartment and I'm all alone with the kids. It's just me and the kids and my brother and he's not working at the moment, so I have to be helping (him) out wherever I can."

Faced with an uncertain future, Grant decided to publicise her situation, while clinging to her faith in God.

"It must be the strength of God that keeps me going on - and my good friends. I have some loving friends, Karena Thompson, she is the best, number one. She's been there with me from day one. During my sister and my mother's sickness, she has been there. Until now."

"It's the strength of God," she repeated. "Trust mi. Without God, I would be dead too. But I'm not giving up, I'm holding the faith because they say God knows best and I know he's sitting high and looking low. He will deliver me some day."

familyandreligion@gleanerjm.com