MONTEGO BAY, St James — The saying “a mother will do anything for the well-being of her child” rings true for St James chef Sholandra Fraser who is planning a fund-raiser in aid of her 12-year-old son Shaequan Rattigan’s leg reconstruction surgery.

Young Shaequan, Fraser told the Jamaica Observer West, was among five members of her family who were badly injured in a motor vehicle crash on the St Ann’s Bay main road in 2019.

He suffered a broken femur and has so far had four surgeries to improve his quality of life.

“My family met in an accident in St Ann on a Saturday evening when they were going to a shop to buy ice cream. A guy was driving recklessly and ran the stoplight in Runaway Bay. The bus they were travelling in was damaged. My sister-in-law, sister, nephew, and brother were all in the bus and they also got injured,” Fraser said.

The mother of one told Observer West that after Shaequan was discharged from the local hospital, she brought him to the United States of America to seek additional medical care. Three years later, the young boy, who is now a student at Knox College in Clarendon, is gearing up for his fifth surgery at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.

“I brought him to the states where I tried to get better attention for him and his foot because it was damaged. Since then I have been still going through it with him, having to go back and forth because he is a young boy who has talent and I just don’t want his future to go down the drain like that, knowing that as a mother I can see what I can do best for him and I didn’t do it,” said Fraser.

But the family needs monetary assistance and this fund-raiser, which will be held on December 16 at the entrance of Rhyne Park, St James, is the mother’s way of pulling funds from every possible angle for this reconstructive surgery.

“I am going to utilise my talent to see how best I can come up with some money to make his reconstructive surgery possible. I did one [a fish fry] on October 14 because when you go to America the expense that you have to pay is overbearing. I didn’t ask for the help, but now I am seeing where I need the help,” she told Observer West.

“I had a ‘Seafood Boil Meets Fish Fry’ in October, so on December 16 I will be having a ‘Jerk Barbeque and Bake Sale’. Everything will be a jerk barbeque and I will have baked goods like jackfruit bread, mango bread, and fruit cake.”

Among the jerk and barbeque meals to look out for are the oxtail and pork, said the St James chef who operates Chillie’s Catering in Rhyne Park.

“We are looking to kick it off at 11:00 am and end at 6:30 in the evening,” she said.

Though it has been three years since the traumatic incident, Fraser said other members of her family are still trying to recover from the physical injuries they sustained. The emotional turmoil also lingers, she told the Observer West.

“It is depressing sometimes. We still think about it whenever it comes around October 19 each year. My sister is still going through it because her nerves got messed up, so she is learning to walk properly again,” she explained.

“My son came back to Jamaica earlier this year on crutches because the doctor had to break the leg again. The one that was damaged, the right femur, is constantly growing so fast and it is leaving him with a limp,” Fraser added.

Young Shaequan is expected to return to the US-based hospital for surgery next month. His mother told Observer West that she is seeking to raise US$20,000 through the planned fund-raiser and usual catering services.

“Persons wanting to reach me can call 876-517-6385. I am located at the entrance of Rhyne Park in Montego Bay, where I do breakfast in the morning on Monday to Friday,” she disclosed.