MONTEGO BAY, St James — With a scoliosis diagnosis threatening her 15-year-old autistic daughter Sharessa Birthfield’s chance of living a close-to-normal life, Deborah Dixon feels as if her back is against a wall.

Sharessa, a student at the Montego Bay Autistic Centre, was diagnosed with scoliosis last year after a routine check-up raised concern by her doctor, Dixon explained. An X-ray was ordered to be done as the girl’s left foot was visibly twisted at the ankle, the mother added.

After months of seeking possible treatments for her daughter, Dixon told the Jamaica Observer that Sharessa was given a surgery date at the University Hospital of the West Indies. However, the $522,450 surgery cost, coupled with the $1,043,969.50 price tag for the after-surgery back brace, has proven to be too much for the operator of a small grocery shop in her Adelphi, St James community.

“They gave us a six-month appointment back in January, but then they said we need to do it as early as possible because her spine is curving fast. I explained to them at the clinic that I am not working, and her father is not helping with her, so I don’t have that money to pay for the surgery,” Dixon said.

Dixon told the Sunday Observer that financial assistance was promised to aid in her daughter’s surgery, however, that is yet to happen and so she is appealing for the help of good Samaritans.

“I am so tired of waiting around, so I want to see if I can get some help for her. They don’t have to give me any cash — I don’t want anything in my hand. I just want the hospital to get the money, so she can get the help,” said Dixon.

Her main cause for concern is that her minimally verbal daughter has been experiencing excruciating pain but is unable to verbalise that.

“I realised when she’s at home, she starts to thump herself so I know that she is feeling pain. She is non-verbal. She knows things, so she might repeat a little but she cannot travel anywhere on her own because she won’t know where to stop or what to do,” Dixon stated.

“She cannot read or write so they teach them vocational skills at the school. The Government helps with her school fee, so I still send her to school but I really want her to get help because I don’t want her to get worse and end up being crippled. She is getting big so I can hardly lift her,” she added.

At the same time, Dixon told the Sunday Observer that she is hoping to land a job as her business is not bringing in enough profit to support her family. She explained that after her job as a sales representative was made redundant, she decided to start her business.

This, however, has not been without its fair share of difficulty as her motherly duties have caused her to spend less time devoted to the grocery shop.

“I would really want to get a job too because I need to take care of her. I have applied to places but I haven’t gotten any responses as yet. I would love to get a job that is 9-5 and I would try to take my lunch break at 2:00 pm to pick her up from school and send her home with somebody. I would really appreciate that because she is getting bigger and she needs help,” said Dixon.

She continued, “I have to take her and my other child to school. I used to have a driver, but when Sharessa started to menstruate, I remember one time the driver’s girlfriend was in the car and I whispered to her to just give an eye for me because she is on her period. That night the driver called me to say he cannot bring her to school anymore. He didn’t state why and I didn’t ask because that was the only thing that happened differently.”

Before that, Dixon said her business was booming and she could better take care of her autistic daughter.

“When I used to open the shop in the morning, things were better for me because I would get some morning sales. But now by the time I get to school at 8:00 am and go back home, all the morning sales are gone and I have to leave again to go pick her up. So I miss some of the afternoon sales again. My other child’s father takes care of her very well, so I have some help there, but it is just rough,” she said.

“I have a big chicken coop and I used to sell fish and chicken on Friday nights, but during COVID, things slowed down and I haven’t been able to recover,” Dixon added.

Anyone wanting to assist young Sharessa may contact her mother, Deborah Dixon, at 876-366-9183.