Hello everyone,

Many of you have heard about Hurricane Melissa, a devastating Category 5 storm with winds up to 185mph that has ravaged Jamaica and destroyed my family’s homes.

My name is Taylor Mitchell, and my mum and I are creating this GoFundMe on behalf of my dad’s family in Jamaica, specifically my aunt Kerian Hill and my great aunt Admertene Mullings, who are located in the parish of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

Both women, like so many others, have been hit terribly by the storm; their roofs were completely torn off, and their belongings have been destroyed by severe water damage. Kerrian has three children, Nahalia, 21, Josh, 16 and Nayla, 14. Both households are predominantly women and children who are incredibly vulnerable and have no close male relatives on hand to help with labour. 

During the brunt of the storm, Kerian had to take shelter in her car with her children for safety. Like many others, Kerian had to witness not only the heartbreaking destruction of her home but also her community, her childhood school, St Elizabeth Technical High School’ also had its roof ripped off, the hospital where she was born in has been torn apart, and her local town, Santa Cruz, is completely covered in mud. This town serves as a central hub for purchasing supplies, not just for Admertene and Kerian, but for the entire community.

Admertene has one child who lives here in England with her three grandchildren. Kerian and Admertene are the last of our direct family to live in Jamaica; they have no current support system, as the rest of the family lives either in the United Kingdom or the USA.

Kerian’s property was her grandfather’s house, a man who had moved to and lived in Britain before retiring back to Jamaica in his old age, along with some of his children, while his other children moved to America. This family home has a deep and special place in our family’s hearts and is integral to our family history, its roots going back over 45 years.

While we have yet to determine the full extent of the damage to both houses, due to the lack of contact from destroyed power and phone lines, we know that vital parts of both homes have been severely damaged; that includes the roofs, the walls, and, presumably, most belongings inside.

Kerian had received some small tarps to create a makeshift cover for her roof to hide from the rain, but unfortunately, they are very small and do not fit to cover a room properly.

This fundraiser will help provide:

The money raised will be split between the two households as needed.

We will continue to update this GoFundMe campaign with photos and information once we have regained contact with both Kerian and Admertene.

Any donation, no matter how small, will make an immense difference in helping our family. Your support will go directly towards the shelter and safety of these two households. 

Thank you so much for any donations given. 

Please keep Jamaica in your thoughts and prayers.

Jamaica will rise again.

Out of many, One People