Parents who lost child to cancer host toy drive

Despite the devastating loss of their daughter Jerodene to cancer, Rasheda and Jermaine Bailey are determined to spread joy and leave an indelible mark on the lives of other ailing children.

Jerodene, a vibrant seven-year-old was diagnosed with stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma, also known as muscle or bone cancer, at age four. Despite a valiant fight, she succumbed to the illness in 2018, leaving a void in her family's heart. However, rather than succumbing to despair, Rasheda and Jermaine, in collaboration with the They Are Us Foundation, embarked on a mission to bring smiles to the faces of sick children in the same hospitals where Jerodene once received treatment. Rasheda shared that during Jerodene's time with them, she touched many lives.

"She was not an ordinary child. I don't know how to explain, but she was different. She cared for the other children on the ward and even prayed for them," she said.

Recalling the challenging times during the Christmas season when Jerodene couldn't go home due to infections, Rasheda reminisced about the joy that children experienced when persons brought gifts for them.

"We remember those different entities that visited the hospital in that Christmas season and they gave them toys. The joy that was on Jerodene's and the other children's faces made such a difference," she said.

The Baileys initiated a toy drive with the theme, 'Put on a Smile on a Sick Child's Face this Christmas'. Despite initial challenges in garnering support, the family pressed on.

"I told them if it is just one truck or just one doll or colouring book, it would be welcomed," she said.

Eunice Beckford, who was touched by Jerodene's journey from the beginning, rallied support from her network. Shani Fletcher-Groves, Jerodene's pediatrician, and the They Are Us Foundation's founder Terry-Ann Oldham, also joined the cause. Oldam knows the Baileys' situation very well, as she has a son who is diagnosed with cancer.

Armed with the support of the community, the Bailey family visited the paediatric wards of both the University Hospital of the West Indies on December 14] and the Mandeville Regional Hospital on December 20. The children's reactions were overwhelming, their open mouths and expressions of appreciation leaving a lasting impression on the volunteers.

"This is our first year and we want to do it as an annual initiative. We are praying that God will enlarge our borders, that we don't limit to two hospitals but we want to reach the point where we basically visit all the hospitals in Jamaica," expressed Rasheda.

In the face of tragedy, the Bailey family has proven that out of every bad comes good. They believe that Jerodene's spirit lives on through the smiles and laughter they've brought to the faces of other children, creating an environment of love and compassion that transcends the pain of loss.