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Three years after Juliet McKenzie was born, her mother found out that she was epileptic. Since then, she has been on medication trying to reduce the frequency of her seizures.

Throughout the years, it has not been easy because she has been admitted to hospital on numerous occasions.

McKenzie said that not only was she born with epilepsy, which is a central nervous system disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behaviour, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness, but she was told that a cyst was growing on her chest.

She said that the cyst has been causing her severe discomfort.

“When me did younger, it use to drain, and me did affi carry rag go school fi wipe it, but it never pain me. But about two years ago, it start to pain me real bad. I got it cut at KPH (Kingston Public Hospital), and they squeeze out the pus out of it, but it get bigger after that. In June, they cut it again and squeeze it out again, but it still a pain me,” she said.

The 47-year-old mother of three said she was told by doctors at the hospital that in order to stop the cyst from returning, the root needed to be removed. She said she was referred to a private medical institute because the public hospital did not have the equipment to facilitate such a procedure.

“Dem tell me that it costs $30,000 to remove it, but I don’t have that kind of money,” she said.

McKenzie said that because of her epileptic nature, she is unable to work, and so the burden is left on her children to take care of her.

“Mi nuh want to pressure them because they are the ones who are taking care of me because I can’t work for myself. Mi would a try and wait to see if they can help out, enuh, but the pain from this thing is too much, and I cannot bear it. Sometimes I have to hold my head up in the air to ease the pain that I am feeling,” she said.

“To have epilepsy and then affi a struggle with this is too much. I want to get ease from one of them,” she said.

Anyone who is willing to help Juliet McKenzie ease her pain may call her at 876-818-1766.