LAST Monday, 30-year-old Sheryll Francis watched helplessly as her 14-year-old daughter Lesa Moncrieffe died in her lap on the way to the hospital. Moncrieffe was the first of three Gregory Park, St Catherine residents to die within 36 hours after allegedly drinking AdvantEdge Carb Control, a drink distributed by Food for the Poor on October 24.

“After she had the drink Monday she started to feel sick Tuesday, but me never think it was nothing so me send her to school same way,” explained Francis, who was still grappling with her daughter’s death.

Francis’ neighbours also lost their children, Keibian Duhaney, 17, and 28-year-old Denver Taylor. The two died after allegedly consuming several boxes of the drink. Horatio McFarlane, another neighbour, was hospitalised, and was on Wednesday said to be “slowly recovering from food poisoning”.

Duhaney drank three boxes of AdvantEdge, while Moncrieffe drank three and a half boxes, their families said. It was not immediately clear how many boxes of the ready-to-drink shake Taylor or McFarlane had consumed.

Francis told the Observer that her daughter’s teacher first noticed that something was wrong.

“The teacher tell me that she knew that something was wrong with her because she was not her normal self that day,” Francis recalled. Francis said Moncrieffe’s health deteriorated and so she took her to the doctor.

“The doctor gave me some medication for her and he said that she had food poisoning,” she explained.

“I take her back to the doctor again Saturday because she was not feeling any better, but the doctor told me to keep on giving her the medication and give her a lot of juice,” she added.

Last Sunday, Moncrieffe, who attended Braeton Primary and Junior High, fell gravely ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. However, her family had to overcome several hurdles to get her to the hospital.

Said Francis: “At 11:00 Sunday night we wanted to rush her to the Spanish Town Hospital, but the road them block so the Caymanas Police tell wi to carry her to Kingston Public Hospital. But we ran out of gas, and then the car tyre puncture so the police had to take her to the hospital,” Francis continued.

“She died when she was in the police car in my lap. I know she dead because me see the blood come out of her nose and her mouth.”

Francis described her daughter as an “animated” youngster who had a lot to live for.

Meanwhile, Duhaney died a few hours after Moncrieffe. “Him tell me sey him belly was hurting him, but me did think sey a because him lazy and never want to do anything,” said grandmother Veronica Peterson. “Thursday night him have a fever and a carry him to the doctor, and the doctor send him back home. Then Friday him start to spit blood,” she said. He was taken to the hospital where his condition worsened.

“Me never see nothing like that inna me life. Me see pure blood a spew out of him nose and mouth,” Peterson recalled, adding that Duhaney begged her not to leave his side.

On Wednesday, Food for the Poor said that 864 boxes of the drink were distributed in the community, and that they had managed to recover an undisclosed number after news of the first two deaths reached their head office in Spanish Town.

On Wednesday when Devnver Taylor – the third victim -died, residents gathered at Walkers Lane where all three youngsters lived to show their support for the grieving families.

Some wore black hearts made out of fabric, while others wore black ribbons around their heads. The residents were obviously rattled by the unexplained deaths, and staged a protest the same day.

Taylor, who is affectionately called “Rappa Dappa,” by his family died at 6:40 am. He leaves behind a five-year-old daughter.

His sister, Melisa Bennet, said he was a vibrant individual who had a lot of potential.

“Him used to love to dance and DJ,” she said. “Him used to make a living from selling clothes.”

Taylor was taken to the hospital on Monday. Richard Thompson, Bennet’s friend said he was at the hospital when Taylor took his last breath.

“He was very dehydrated and all he wanted was water,” Thompson told the Observer. “He asked us to take him to the bathroom…, but he passed blood clots.”

He added that at one point Taylor complained that he felt as if his intestines were being twisted into knots.

But Food for the Poor said it was confident that the deaths were not as a result of the drinks. The charity also pointed out that it had received a certificate when the drinks were inspected by the Food Infestation Department, which deemed them eligible for distribution.

Bradley Finzi-Smith, executive director for the non-profit organisation also noted that his organisation had received all the necessary approvals for the drink to be distributed.

In order for a drink of that nature to be released by customs, the Ministry of Health would have had to test for its wholesomeness, Peter Knight, director of environmental health, told the Observer.

The Health Department would also be required to inspect the drinks, using a scientific technique that allows them to pull representative samples from the container where the drinks are stored.

After the Health Department approves the goods, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) examines the products to ensure that they are properly labelled. The BSJ also checks to ensure that the expiry dates of the goods have not passed. The Customs gives the go-ahead for the goods to be released.

In addition, Knight noted that foods imported to the island do not undergo routine lab tests as this would be too costly. He also pointed out that under the National Convention of Trading in Foods, countries are required to ensure that the goods they import are of high standards.

“Exporting countries are required to send food that is fit for consumption,” he emphasised. Both the BSJ and the Health Ministry are still said to be investigating the cases of alleged poisoning.