‘Jamericans’ assist baby Vernesha and her parents

March 19, 2019
Shekerr Graham (left) of My Lullaby Babies presents pampers and baby bottles to Walton Evans (second left) and Latoya White, parents of baby Vernesha. Looking on is Child Protection and Family Services Agency investigator Emery Baker.
Shekerr Graham (left) of My Lullaby Babies presents pampers and baby bottles to Walton Evans (second left) and Latoya White, parents of baby Vernesha. Looking on is Child Protection and Family Services Agency investigator Emery Baker.
Some of the new materials that will be installed at the house.
Some of the new materials that will be installed at the house.
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Three sisters of Jamaican parentage have come to the aid of baby Vernesha Evans and her parents, Walton Evans and Latoya White.

Shekerr, Sheena, and Simone Graham, who now reside in Florida, USA, have so far spent in excess of US$4,000 to give the family a home makeover and provide baby clothing.

The baby was snatched in early January from the Cornwall Regional Hospital but was later found by the police. The parents later admitted that they were having trouble feeding her.

The family home was also in need of repairs, and Evans, the sole breadwinner, was unable to effect those improvements on his own.

Shekerr Graham is a director of My Lullaby Babies, which provides care and protection for newborns in Florida. She and her sisters set up a GoFundMe account to help the family in their current state, and after realising that people were not responding fast enough, they decided to pool their personal money for the cause.

"Reading the Evans' story in THE STAR online, it really caught my eyes when he said, 'I only need some help, and I want to keep my baby'. That, coupled with my understanding on how families react when they have a newborn ... I called my sister Sheena and told her that we have to help this man because the only thing Jamaicans need is basic commodities to survive," Shekerr told the WESTERN STAR.

She said that work on the house started two weeks ago after sending money to another family member, who found her a contractor to build a bathroom on the existing dwelling.

"Apart from the bathroom, we are rehabilitating the entire house by reinforcing the existing structure and replacing their tottering wardrobes with new ones, putting in new windows, doors, and replacing furniture and appliances," she said.

Last Saturday, the Graham siblings led a team on a workday, where they threw out and set fire to several items that they replaced.

Shekerr said that when work is completed, baby Vernesha will have her own room and a new playpen, and the family will have a kitchen and a dining room, which are being redesigned.

"After all that is done, we are going to adopt the family by ensuring that a helper comes here every two weeks to clean and make sure that the baby is being taken care of," said Shekerr.

"We are urging other Jamaicans who are in need of help similar to the Evans family, go to places like THE STAR, where your story can be shared so that help can be found to improve your life's condition."

Evans said that he was delighted with the assistance.

"Right yah now mi glad ... look at this. The amount of money that has already gone into this house, I don't have it. All this is happening 'cause we had financial problems," Evans said. "Praise be to God, we are getting over that now, and mi thank God for that. When everything finishes, we want to go to church and give our lives to God and continue to live a clean life."

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