Little Ashley Anderson, an eight-year-old grade-two student, was shot in the head last September at the gate to her home. She has received several donations from the school, which has also been lending her mother a well-needed shoulder for psychological, as well as financial support.Now, Holy Family Primary has recognised that other members of their family are also in need of help, and have moved towards providing it.
Last Thursday, the school in association with the Kiwanis Club of downtown Kingston, had the official launch of the foundation, which was started on April 8.
Several primary and high schools, mainly from central Kingston, attended and gave their contribution, through song, dance and poems.
Gratitude
Principal Cecile Palmer said she was elated at the support received for the event.
"We are indeed humbled by the exposure that we had," she said.
Her gratitude was reiterated by Marcia Richards-Gordon, one of the guidance counsellors at the facility.
"It was a success, as all the schools that were invited participated, and we are grateful for that," she told The Gleaner.
Foundation leaders
Richards-Gordon and Jeremy McGregor are the two guidance counsellors who spearheaded the foundation after what happened to little Ashley.
"It came out of Ashley's situation because we saw the need to help her, because she was a happy and energetic child; and now she is in a wheelchair and is not responding to anything," she said.
The children were saddened after Ashley's visit to the school earlier this year. However, the guidance counsellor says she explained that unfortunate incidents happened to people sometimes.
"We tell them that people get sick sometimes and they are not too small to get sick," Richards-Gordon said.
The foundation is now providing assistance to Tyrese Saunders, another student who has brain cancer, and is looking towards helping Kevaun Roberts, who has been in the hospital for the past two months. It will host annual events with the aim of obtaining enough funds to continue assistance to those in need.
"We are just trying to save the world by saving one child at a time," added Palmer.