NEWS anchor and producer Kerlyn Brown says she has always enjoyed covering human interest stories.

When she was approached to take on a human interest programme at CVM TV, she was all-in and decided to make it her own. It was from there that the television programme Inspire Jamaica was born.

“I insisted that I wanted to focus on children only. I had to prove that it could happen, and I maintained the vision and said ‘just allow me, please’. And the rest is history since 2011,” Brown said.

The programme focuses on educating viewers about the different health conditions that Jamaican children are living with and encouraging people to assist with the financial needs they have.

Brown seeks to allow the children to live up to their potential in spite of their conditions.

“It is amazing how they are so strong. They are bold and brave. They don’t need sympathy; they just need to be children. We want to give them a chance to be themselves. There are some who will never speak, but they give you the most beautiful smile. So I simply try to bring out the best in them [and] I call them inspirees,” Brown said.

Brown, for work on the programme which started in 2011, was on the weekend awarded for ‘outstanding contribution to journalism and media in the area of human interest’ at the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAiN) conference hosted by the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the Iberostar hotel in Montego Bay.

The church’s communication director and organiser of GAiN, Nigel Coke, said Brown was selected for the award as her work on Inspire Jamaica fits well with the media and technology focus of the conference and the general seventh-day adventist focus on health.

“Kerlyn’s programme has inspired thousands of Jamaicans, including us as seventh-day adventists. We treasure and focus on health. Over the past four years we have been focusing on persons living with disabilities and we believe that Inspire Jamaica has helped many to enjoy better health. Some have been able to integrate well into society through this very necessary media initiative,” Coke said.

Brown shared the moment with one of her ‘inspirees’, Jordane Jarrett. Jordane, who is living with mild cerebral palsy, broke into a big smile as he held the award along with “Aunty Kerlyn” and president of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Everett Brown.

Jordane’s mother, Alecia Campbell was there to witness the event. She said she is grateful for the support she has received through Inspire Jamaica.

“Aunty Kerlyn was the one who reached out to us. She assisted us in finding help. We went to Dr Dawson at the University Hospital of the West Indies, who introduced us to an overseas medical group. In 2012, Jordane couldn’t manage to move around so he has done two surgeries which have helped him a long way. He is now able to walk around by himself and sometimes with the aid of a walker,” Campbell shared.

Jordane is happy to be more independent and has hopes of becoming a veterinarian.

Brown has also initiated a support group for parents of children living with illnesses so they can encourage and help each other.

“The parents exchange numbers, and they communicate. Do you know the difference that makes? Because they realise they are not alone. They won’t necessarily get the support within a community that doesn’t understand,” she said.

Brown was one of 15 awardees recognised at the GAiN conference.