Teen continues fighting for his life in ICU

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Jerkeem Jackson. (File photo)
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Medical staff at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre continue to provide care for 16-year-old Jerkeem Jackson as he undergoes life-saving surgeries.

Photos and videos circulating on social media last week told a story of how Jackson was severely beaten on All Saints Road by three boys.

 A neighbour used his surveillance camera to spot the boys walking behind Jackson with stones and glass bottles to attack him.

The neighbour tried to intervene, but efforts to do so proved futile.

The three boys ran off with Jackson’s phone and money, leaving him at the side of the road with a cracked skull from being hit in the head with a piece of asphalt, as well as kicks to the head and face while he laid on the ground.

Neurologist Dr Patrick Knight flew in from Trinidad to assist the hospital’s medical team headed by Dr St. Luce in performing another craniectomy yesterday. Jackson was then returned for further care at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

His mother, Karima Jackson, gave Observer more details following a successful surgery.

“Dr Knight just spoke with us and he informed us that the surgery went well, the prognosis looks good, and it is just to continue his care. His head is still bandaged up, he still cannot talk, he’s still on machines, so that his brain can rest a bit before they take him off. They expect to take him off those machines sometime this week,” Joseph told Observer yesterday.

 Joseph said that pleas for justice for her son continue, as calls have been pouring in from residents concerned that those responsible for Jerkeem’s current condition are back on the streets. She claimed that the family did not receive any information from the authorities regarding the boys being out of police custody.

“His father and I went to the police station to the CID department and we spoke to them asking what’s going on, because I did not receive news regarding the release of these guys, but what they explained to us was that they were released pending further investigations, because the statement they gave it’s saying they didn’t do anything to my son, they were only there,” said Joseph.

While investigations into the matter remain ongoing, Jackson’s mother made an appeal to those responsible for his injuries

“I would like to tell them that it really took a big part of me and my family, the entire nation as a matter of fact, even if they didn’t know my son personally, they took a big chunk from me so try to be responsible even if it’s just for this first time,” she pleaded.

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