Dear Friends,

Let us first introduce ourselves.

My name is Breanna Roper. I was born at the University Hospital of the West Indies in the parish of Kingston Jamaica and raised in multiple other parishes over the course of my life. Jamaica is more than just the place I was born, it’s the place that taught me strength, resilience, stick-to-itiveness, and the real meaning of unconditional love. Now, she needs our help. My island and family is hurting with the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

My name is Leighton Jones, and I was born at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Saint James. I grew up in a small community called Granville, and seeing the devastation there — even down to the trees stripped bare of their leaves — is heartbreaking and almost unbelievable. What’s more painful is hearing that aid isn’t reaching our people, even though we can see supplies entering the country. That’s part of why we’re taking this route — to make sure help gets directly to the families who need it most. I spent most of my life in Jamaica’s second city, with countless holidays and memories in St. Elizabeth, where both my parents were born. Today, both of these parishes — the places that shaped who I am — have been detrimentally impacted by the recent disaster.

This isn’t just about rebuilding homes; it’s about restoring hope. My own family has been directly affected — my little sister lost both her home and her job, and my relatives in St. Elizabeth are facing severe damages, including roofs torn away and destroyed property. The country is now struggling with food shortages as vegetation and livestock have been wiped out by the hurricane.

We currently reside in Buffalo and work in the Trauma Center at ECMC where casualty and devastation is in constant rotation. We see homelessness, traumas, casualties and death on a daily basis even in this first world trauma center and it makes my heart ache even more so for Jamaica who has only 24 public hospitals and 10 private ones. This makes it even harder for me to turn a blind eye to the devastation happening to my family and the island as a whole.

Jamaica has given me, my friends, and the world at large so much over the years, from a beach to relax on vacation, music to dance to, cuisines to highlight your day, unmatched culture, kindness, entertainment and brilliant minds that are constantly changing the world. Now she lays damaged and in need of your help. Natural Resources are bountiful and constantly being harvested especially in the areas most affected — the Cockpit Country. The “cockpit country” consists of the parishes St.Elizabeth, St.James, Trelawny, St.Ann, Manchester and part of Clarendon. It provides almost half the natural freshwater to the entirety of the western parishes and a majority of the underground fresh water sources to the entirety island. The limestone forest is home to many endangered flora and fauna and is globally known as a biodiversity hotspot. Bauxite which is the ore used to make aluminum —Jamaica’s largest export— is also mined heavily in this area. Majority of the sugarcane and crops for export grown on the island also come from this area and many farmers livelihoods lay bare and desolate.

While a lot of large names and countries providing donations on a general scale I want to put a plea out for a cause that is more personal and near to home. My family and the family of Leighton Jones which majority resides in the Western parishes — namely Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, St. James and Trelawny— desperately needs help. Help to rebuild the homes they’ve lost, restore the homes that are damaged, rebuy the goods they can no longer afford due to mass layoffs, and just help to survive.

Children that were in school thriving just a few weeks ago are now traumatized having lost everything they’ve ever known, but schools will reopen (and have already reopened in some cases) and they have no means of returning having lost everything. Parents have to return to work and their entire life’s work lay in tatters or soaked and covered in mud yet they need to feed their families and themselves. The psychological toll is not something that can be put into words nor will I attempt to.

I would like to conclude with two of my favourite Jamaican proverbs. The first highlights the importance of community, “No man is an island, no man stands alone. Each man’s joy is joy to me, each man’s grief is my own” This moment calls us to act with compassion, unity, and strength to show that even from Buffalo, we can uplift our brothers and sisters across the sea. The second emphasizes the importance of giving in any capacity, “Every Mickle Mek A Muckle”. This translates to a large amount can be made from many small things. It highlights how even small efforts add up to significant results over time. Every donation will go directly towards helping these families rebuild and regain a sense of normalcy.

And as we proudly say, “We likkle but we tallawah.” Our size may be small, but our hearts and resilience are mighty. We invite you to stand with us to give, to share, and to uplift. Together, we can transform loss into legacy and despair into renewal.

With love and gratitude, Breanna Roper and Leighton Jones.