Patricia Watson, Senior Staff Reporter
Jada Samuels is just 17 years old, but this brave teenager has been making a huge difference in the lives of numerous persons living with HIV in eastern Jamaica. When Outlook met Jada, the shy young lady, gave permission to have her name published as a way of encouraging people infected or affected by HIV to speak out openly. However, based on her age, the decision was taken not to do this.
AT THE tender age of 10, Jada came face to face with the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV). The infection had hit close to home her father whom she loved dearly, had contracted the disease. And although she didn't understand her father's illness, she knew people treated her differently. Jada is now the headgirl of her school and is doing CXC this year. She hopes to become a social worker and guidance counsellor later on. She speaks with Outlook about caring for her father.
"I didn't know a thing about HIV or AIDS. When I found out my father was ill, I was very young. Actually when my mother told me, I think I was about 10 years old. But still, to tell you the God truth, I didn't feel any way about it. I really felt normal because it was like any other illness."
She explained that her father and her mother were not living together at the time and that throughout his illness, he never explained what was wrong with him.
"I think he decided that he wanted to live by himself and that is when I started to care for him, that time I was about 15 years old. I washed, cooked, cleaned, you know do any little thing.
"I became the major person doing everything for him, and to tell you the truth, one day he got me really stressed out. You know it was summer and I was young and I really wanted to have fun, you know, go out with your friends and every day I had to do work up at my house then go up to my father's house and do everything and it really got to me."
She explained that one particular day, she told her mother she didn't want to go by her father as she was tired. Her mother, however, insisted that she went and so she went by a friend's house where she spent the entire afternoon.
"Something kept saying, 'Call daddy and see how he is doing', so I called next door because if I call him, I know he was going to quarrel with me. So when I called, they said they didn't see daddy all day and they don't see the lights turned off from morning. So I said something must wrong and I told the lady that I was coming.
"I started to get scared now, because I didn't know if he was dead or if anything had happened to him. I tell the lady to follow me, she said she 'soon come', but it look like she was scared too, so I alone went. When I went over there and called, I didn't hear any answer, so I pushed the door and go in and mi daddy lie down on the floor!
"When I left him the day before, him never looked so bad, he could walk around, when I saw him, he was like a skeleton, just bones on the floor him couldn't talk or nothing. He was there from the night before he was going to the bathroom and just fell down and he was there whole night, whole day. He had nothing to eat, nothing to drink and he was dehydrated.
"I called the lady, 'cause me one just couldn't manage him, and she helped me put him on the bed and I looked after him. In the evening I was there with him alone, I didn't want to sleep there the night, because I didn't want him to die on me, 'cause I was afraid. I started to cry, and a lady passing saw me crying and she ask 'why yu crying, something wrong with yu daddy?' and I told her he got sick and she come over and look at him and said he had to go to the hospital, because he didn't look good.
"She called a taxi and we carried him up to the hospital. At the hospital... probably now they are treating people living with HIV/AIDS better, but then, I tell you the truth, they never treat mi daddy good. When mi go up there, the food put down with flies and all sorts of things. I had to be fanning flies they didn't treat him good at all... I had to call my sisters and told them, they were not treating my father good at all and that is how I found the Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS).
"They came over and they really helped us. They ordered everything and they quickly rushed him off from the hospital. I mean he couldn't talk, he couldn't walk his foot bottom was as soft as nothing and after they took him at JAS, he started walking and talking again.
"It so happenned that the JAS office moved and I didn't know Kingston well, so I lost contact. He was there worrying that I didn't come to see him and one day I was at church and I heard that he died.
"I know when people in my community heard that my daddy had AIDS they looked on me differently, but I am the sort of person you do whatever you want to do. I am not saying it didn't bother me, but if you want to look at me differently that is up to you. At school, I didn't want any of my friends to know my father had AIDS. I had three friends, who I confided in, because I really needed somebody to talk to. It had reached the point where I felt like killing myself...it was really hard on me and I needed someone to talk to, so I told my friends about it and they really supported me. I know people talked, some were afraid to touch me, but I managed.
(After Daddy died) Verity Rushton invited me to join the X (parish) AIDS Committee.
One of the reasons I am now involved in care and support is because I didn't think I did enough to help my Daddy. I didn't understand the disease and there were times when he had complaints and he would tell me, and I would say to myself, 'just because daddy wants me to stay here, that is why he is behaving like that'. But when I sit down and look back, I really don't think I treated him the real good way he should have been treated. So now I just want to help other people with HIV. You see because I saw how he suffered, it breaks my heart to see people go through that without any family. If I can just do a little to help people to cope, I feel happy.
"I have been with the X AIDS Committee for three years and I started care and support a year ago. This lady (Jada's first HIV+ case) just caught my attention and being with her she encouraged me to continue.
"There are times when you yourself have to cry and there are times when there are just happy moments. But there are times when you see them really suffering and there is nothing you can do. Especially when you are close to them, it is really heartbreaking. But then these are people whose family when they realise they have AIDS, want to have nothing to do with them, but if I can just help them I mean somebody has to do it and I will care for them. You just need to open up your heart."
A Jewel
Sheila Evans Volunteer at the X AIDS Committee describes Jada as a jewel. She explained she has known her for three years and is in awe of her.
"She started out just writing her feelings and then sharing with some of us. Only a few people knew how she came to be involved in AIDS work," Mrs. Evans said.
According to Mrs. Evans, Jada was the principal caregiver for her father and when he died she (Jada) felt there was a gap she needed to fill to help to care for others. In her zeal to help, she also formed a youth group, dedicated to teaching community members life skills.
"It has become a passion for her she has taken something negative and has gained from it. What she teaches is that HIV is a terrible thing, but it doesn't have to ruin you. She talks about abstinence and she can also do condom demonstrations. I've seen her just flower it really is just from herself. She was determined it was not going to be a negative thing in her life."
Not her real name
