Anastasia Cunningham, Senior Gleaner Writer

Ryan Perry visited the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) in Kingston yesterday with mixed emotions. He was happy he would finally be able to take home his baby daughter, but his heart was heavy with sadness as the mother of his child and love of his life was still lying in her hospital bed, slipping in an out of a coma.

Ryan’s greatest desire was to take them both home today so they could enjoy the happy occasion together. But his hope for that day is now hanging in the balance.

The 28-year-old father was yesterday awash with emotions – happy at the birth of his daughter, yet distraught, puzzled, angry, but more than anything, uncertain of the fate of his common-law wife.

Last week Wednesday, when he took 23-year-old Tashamna Martin to the Victoria Jubilee Hospital at 2 a.m. to give birth to her third child, they did not imagine that a joyous affair would turn into a nightmare.

Called in panic

A few hours after being admitted, Tashamna went into labour. She called for assistance but none came. In panic, she called Ryan, who had returned home to stay with their other two children.

“She said a nurse was there and she beg the nurse some water and the nurse tell her she soon come, but the nurse never come back,” her common-law husband said.

After agonising through the contractions, Martin could no longer stop the baby from coming and, by 10 a.m., all on her own, she gave birth to a baby girl on the bed in the hospital ward.

There was still no one in sight so she sat there alone, in pain, bleeding, looking down at her daughter covered in blood, her heart still in panic. She called Ryan.

“She say she just have baby and no one not there to help her. I tell her someone soon come, but she say no one not coming because she there how long and them nuh come back all now. After a while she stop talk, like she black out,” he told The Gleaner.

Ryan said he rushed from his Vineyard Town home in St Andrew to the hospital, arriving approximately 10:30 a.m., but he was not allowed access because it wasn’t visiting hours. He had to return later in the evening at 4:30 p.m.

“She was lying in bed, very weak and could hardly talk. The baby was OK, but Tashamna never look right and she say she don’t feel too good. She just keep saying she don’t like the feeling she have. I said it to the nurse and she say she will keep a close eye on her,” he said.

He disclosed that Martin was so weak she couldn’t drink the cranberry juice he had brought; he had to hold her up to sip a little through a straw.

Slipped into coma

Perry said by 3 a.m. the next day, he got a call that Martin had slipped into a coma and had to be put on a machine. He got there by 5 a.m. and was taken to see her.

“When I saw her, she never respond to me. She call me name one time and she don’t say anything more. She get an injection and she start to scream. After a minute, she stop scream and not talking, then them put on a drip on her,” he said.

He said later that day the doctor told him although she was in a coma, her condition was stable. He was also told that they had attempted to give her a blood transfusion, but her body wasn’t accepting it.

“By Thursday evening, they say they have to make some decision because her body is in a serious condition because they don’t think she can go a next day without blood. Them say her blood count (haemoglobin level) drop to one when it should be 14,” he shared.

She later got the transfusion.

Still unresponsive

Yesterday he was told her haemoglobin level was up to 5.9, but she was still unresponsive.

“The doctor say she make a little bit of improvement, but them just don’t know when she will recover,” said the taxi driver.

“I don’t want to think about losing her. I am just hoping she will recover. We are going to get married this year. Right now I can’t sleep, me upset, worried, puzzled. I don’t know how this coulda happen. Somebody need to tell me how this coulda happen.”

When questioned on the matter, Lyttleton ‘Tanny’ Shirley, chairman of the South East Regional Health Authority, which has responsibility for the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, told The Gleaner yesterday: “I have asked for a full investigation of the matter, which is probably going to take some detailed time because I am sending an independent team down there.”

As to Martin’s existing condition, he said: “I know she is being treated based on preliminary information asked. There are some challenges in the treatment process, but I know she is fully being attended to. I can’t elaborate further than that at this time.”

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Mavado’s new home, under construction seems so beautiful before its actually finished. Congratulations Madvado

Stacy-Ann Smith’s friends and family took to Facebook to express shock at her unexpected demise with one of her friends from The Cayman Islands writing the following:

“this is soooo hard to bleve (believe)…stacy aka sunshine i remember when i gave u that name at netball ( smile ) i remember the 28th jan u sat in my house while i was givin u ur (your) hairstyle to go home to see your son and u received that phone call same time u started to tell me how u felt and u was gonna change ur (your) mind from going after getting that phn (phone) call until u started to talk to your sister on bbm then u say u work too hard your going and only to hear this tragic news,” the friend wrote “My fren god knows best and he ain’t sleeping whoever did this to you their time coming… . God alone know what u went tru (through) up (here) and then to go jamaica and this. feel it girl trust me like u always say chunks u the only friend i have in cayman …. what can i say now (crying ) R.I.P. sunshine.”

Stacy-Ann Smith Smith’s Facebook chronicle

On November 11 last year, Stacy-Ann Smith wrote on her Facebook page: “thank u (you) lord for ma life”. It is a life that she would lose some three months later in the most gruesome manner.

Smith, who worked in The Cayman Islands, chronicled on the same day how much she missed her son who was still residing in Jamaica.

“I miss ma (my) son soooo much can’t wait (to) go back home to him lord plz (please) help me to be with my son!!!”

One would hope Smith found peace with her saviour, as on November 12, she called upon Him for help.

“Oh lord, I cry out to you with my voice and with my voice to the lord I make my supplication!!!

“I pour out my complaint before him I declare before him my trouble. lord please forgive me for all my sins!!!!!!!!amen”

December appeared to have brought about a change in fortunes for Smith, as on the first of the month she had a new tone on the social networking site.

“hello facebook I’m feeling so happy today reason god has now wondered into my life he has given me a miracle just and I didn’t know thing like this can happen for me at all. I see it happen for other ppl (people) just never me until today so whatever problem you (have) don’t take up d (the) phone and call just go on ur (your) knee and talk to god trust me he will come through for you!”

Homesick

With the turn of the year, however, her desire to come back to Jamaica once again started taking its toll.

“Oh no it’s been one year now since I’m away from home oh lord plzx (please) help me to visits home this year I’m missing ma son and ma family and friends and most of all I miss ma (my) sweet heart I love u boo!!!!!!oxoxoxoxoxox,” she wrote on January 3.

One of her last updates was a repost of a message by one of her friends which requested prayer in support of “persons experiencing family problems, struggles and worries and just need to know that someone cares”.

Smith, who returned to Jamaica from The Cayman Islands last month, was reported missing last Wednesday. Her body was found on Monday in a crocus bag, cemented in the wall of the family’s unfinished house. Her sister was taken into custody in relation to the gruesome find.

– Ryon Jones

WID DI STARCH INA DI TIE-HEAD

Shared post from ‘Long Hair Care Forum’ by Ithacagurl from thread ‘Trusting God’:

Me: God can I ask u a question?
God: Sure Me: Promise u won’t get mad
God: I promise
Me: Why did u let so much stuff happen to me today? … … …
God: What do u mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late, God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start,
God: Okay
Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait,
God:Huummmm…
Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call…..
God: All right
Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn’t work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did you do that?
God: Let me see, the Death Angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one of the other angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that.
Me (humbled): OH
GOD: I didn’t let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me (ashamed)………
God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn’t want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn’t afford to miss work.
Me (embarrassed):Ok
God: Your phone went dead bcuz the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn’t even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly): I see God
God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn’t think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I’m sorry God
God: Don’t be sorry, just learn to trust me…..in all things, the good & the bad.
Me: I will trust you
God: And don’t doubt that my plan for your day is always better than your plan.
Me: I won’t God. And let me just tell you God, thank you for everything today.
God: You’re welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I love looking after my children…..:yep:

Shared via LHCF.

MIRAMAR —
A 17-year-old girl who was the subject of a massive search after she disappeared a week ago has been found unharmed, police said Wednesday.

Under police questioning, Naketa Leiba confirmed that she ran away from home, police said. On general terms, she said she was having problems at home, police said. As one example, she recalled being reprimanded for a tattoo she got in December, police said.

She was found by police about 11 p.m. Tuesday roughly 3 miles west of her Miramar residence, hiding at a friend’s apartment near the 8400 block of Sherman Circle, according to police.

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“She was hiding under a bunk bed, clearly not wanting to be found,” said Tania Rues, Miramar police spokeswoman.

Naketa’s case got a mixed reaction from the public.

“I think she should be punished for it,” said Leslie Thomas, 43, whose Hollywood home was visited this week by volunteers circulating fliers. “Her mother was worried sick.”

Thomas’ 10-year-old daughter, Shanice, overheard her mother and told her: “You’d slap me blue for something like that!”

Kim Clark, 23, a mother of three, also lives in the area canvassed by volunteers. On Wednesday afternoon, Clark said she still doubted Naketa ran away. “I don’t think she would let her mommy and daddy go through that torture.”

According to police, no charges were pending against Naketa, who was found at the apartment with her friend, a pregnant 18-year-old woman, as well as her friend’s cousin.

Naketa and her friends said they were aware of the search after “they saw a flier,” Rues said.

But Naketa “claimed that she wasn’t watching the news, and that she was not completely aware of the extent of the search for her,” Rues said.

The nearly weeklong police investigation involved “hundreds and hundreds” of staff hours and dozens of employees at an estimated cost of tens of thousands of dollars, Rues said. The FBI also was involved.

“It’s unfortunate that so much time and money was dedicated in trying to locate someone who did not want to be found,” Rues said. “These resources could have been used to help true victims of crime.”

Asked whether police would be compensated, Rues replied: “Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen.”

Between last week and Tuesday, family, friends and supporters had centered their search efforts around Washington Park, near State Road 7 and Pembroke Road in Hollywood, the last area where Naketa Leiba’s cellphone was believed to have sent out a signal, according to her parents.

Naketa’s parents repeatedly expressed their belief that she wasn’t a runaway and likely was being held against her will. The teen was brought back to her parent’s home about 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

In front of news cameras Wednesday morning, her father, Michael Leiba, said Naketa wasn’t acting the same, and said he was concerned about her health.

“We’re going to take her to the hospital and get a physical,” Michael Leiba told WSVN-Ch. 7. “We thank everyone for their support we’re glad that our daughter is back.”

The parents later were seen escorting someone who may have been Naketa into a van and driving away. A woman inside the family’s home, who identified herself as a family friend, declined to comment.

Naketa vanished the afternoon of Feb. 1 after getting off a school bus near the 6800 block of Southwest 34th Street in Miramar, police said.

Naketa called her mother, a substitute teacher in Broward County, for a ride home. But her mother, Sharon Leiba, said her school was on a security lockdown and she couldn’t leave. Naketa Leiba told her she would probably walk home, her mother said.

About an hour later at 4:25 p.m., she told her mother in a phone call that she was “on my way.”

Police said they tracked Naketa to the apartment Tuesday night after obtaining an address linked to a cellphone Naketa used after her disappearance.

She had used the cellphone the day after she disappeared to phone her mother and tell her that she left home, police said. Don’t go searching for me, the girl told her mother, according to police.

Her mother told police about her daughter’s call, Rues said.

Even though police believed she had ran away, her parents told police they felt she could have been coerced into making the call, authorities said. Police told Naketa’s parents not to discuss such investigative details publicly, Rues said.

“There was information that we couldn’t release at the time, because we feared it would jeopardize the investigation and cause her to go deeper into hiding,” Rues said. “A lot of runaways end up in the wrong hands.”

During their inquiry, police found several things that led them to suspect Naketa ran away: A domestic incident at the home last year, Naketa discussing her life through her Twitter account, and no one reporting any suspicious activity around the time she disappeared.

Also, certain details weren’t disclosed to police by the parents, Rues said. Broward court records show that the parents divorced in late January.

“There are a lot of things that we were unaware of that could have potentially changed the scope of the investigation,” Rues said.

The omissions aren’t likely result in charges against the parents, Rues said. Throughout the ordeal they and police had the same goal: “to bring her back safely,” Rues said.

Sean Kendrick, the co-owner of K&K Grocery, a store across the street from Washington Park, said he saw Naketa’s mother and volunteers circulating fliers near his store Tuesday.

Naketa “wasted everybody’s time,” Kendrick said. “What will happen when other people come up missing and everyone thinks they’re crying wolf?”

Rues replied: “We take every missing-juvenile case seriously.”

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