Christmas spirits lifted
When THE STAR visited Kevin Wilson at his home in Lenwood Path off West Bay Farm Road in St Andrew yesterday, he initially thought we wanted to meet his three-week-old son Teejay 'JJ' Wilson and his babymother Tasheka Wright.
His eyes lit up when he was presented with a Christmas gift -- courtesy of the NCB Foundation -- aimed at lifting his family's spirits during the holidays.
"Mi nuh know what to say because mi never did a look out fi dis," a grateful Wilson said. "Mi really glad fi di strength and mi say love and respect to everybody," he added.
Wilson was featured in this newspaper earlier this month. At the time he was recounting the nerve-wracking experience of seeing his girlfriend deliver a child at home. With the assistance of Constables Kenique James and Hackeem Collier of the Olympic Gardens Police Station, who responded to their call of distress, and his neighbour Donna, Wilson was able to safely deliver Teejay on November 25.
The family has no working television, Internet access and very few toys. In addition to the newborn, Wilson and Wright share three other children -- ages five, two and one. Yesterday, they were seen playing merrily around their board dwelling with pieces of board and a plastic car. There are no plans for any shiny new toys for them.
"Mi never have nuh big plans for Christmas more than mi did a guh try buy a one pants and shoes for the children. Dem say dem want Internet and flat-screen TV but the time a guh come when dem have that. We just can't afford it now because is a lot of them," Wilson said.
He does not have a steady job and admits that it has been a real struggle to make ends meet. But he is not one to ask for handouts.
"Mi is a youth whe always out in the streets a look it so any little work mi get, mi take it. It hard to take care of dem but mi is a man who nuh like tell people mi problem. But it rough because mi have three a dem and da one ya come born and mi have mi babymother to think about, and mi don't count myself in it yet," he said.
"Mi babymadda bawl on mi nuff time, the pickney dem bawl on mi, too, and mi family dem. But mi just try fi be a man and do mi ting. We might nuh have it like how some people have it but mi a try make it, yuh zimi."
The family's meals are prepared on a wood fire and their bathroom is not adjoining the house. But Wilson is confident that better days are coming.