Trelawny mom fears for infant son as supplies run low

Three weeks after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, Trelawny mother Aeisha Brady is struggling to care for her seven-week-old baby Azarie.

She is faced with a rapidly shrinking supply of formula, a damaged home still exposed to the elements, and no clear way to restock basic supplies. The 26-year-old Spicy Hill resident recalled the frightful night the hurricane hit - wind ripping at the roof, children screaming in panic and water pouring through concrete that had previously felt solid. Inside the house were her two children, her sister's three children, her 82-year-old grandmother, and her mother, all huddled in the dark.

"Part of our roof is gone, and water came through part of the concrete and other parts of the house all while dealing with a young baby," she said. The house felt less like shelter and more like a thin barrier between them and the storm.

"We could hear screams and everything... it was a horrifying moment, especially for the kids, their reactions, everything that was going on. The only person who couldn't scream out is the baby," she said.

Brady tried to shield Azarie as best as she could, keeping him on the bed in proper clothing, a small emergency bag nearby. She said she is still trying to process the emotional toll.

"We supported each other. I made sure my newborn was not in any harm, and somehow we found little moments of peace in the chaos. It's a testament to our strength and love for one another," she said.

Her grandmother, who suffered a stroke three years ago and can only move with the assistance of a walker, cried through parts of the chaos.

"While the water was coming in, we had to leave her on the bed because we didn't want her to trip while walking with the walker," Brady said.

But the storm itself was only the beginning. In the hours after Melissa moved away, the floodwaters arrived.

"We had to be sweeping out water and stuff," she said. "I had to be in pants and sweater and those thick work boots; that's what I had to wear."

Spicy Hill sits some distance from the nearest town, Duncans, and the isolation is now shaping the family's next crisis, as supplies are running out with no easy way to replenish them. Stored food, water and baby items they prepared before the storm have been exhausted.

"I have Pampers and wipes, but I am running out of feeding shortly... I don't know," Brady admitted. She now has only half a tin of formula left. "The kids' water is going low. We have a few snacks left and juice. The drinking water is down to a minimal." She said that when relief supplies come, due to their location deep in the community, they do not get there in time.

The uncertainty has left her juggling not just the needs of a newborn, but the fear that even the basics may run out before she can find a way to recover.

"I'm not sure how I'll restock on my baby's feeding... I'm not sure as yet. I can't work, so things are just on a pause at the moment," she said. Brady also said she has been unable to contact any politicial representatives for assistance.

Her community is also wrestling with a garbage pile-up. According to Brady, no truck has visited since the hurricane. With a newborn and an elderly grandmother who also uses adult diapers, proper disposal is becoming difficult.

"The cell service here is on and off," she said. "At the gate we have to put blocks and then wrap it round so we can put the garbage and cover it. The dog keeps pulling them out. It doesn't look good and it doesn't smell good," she said.

Still, Brady said they are trying to repair what they can with the little strength and few materials they have.

"We are trying to batten back down some of the roof, trying to see if we can seal the concrete part... but it is just little baby steps until everything is finished."