EACH day Gail Williams and Sharline Herron embody a declaration by famous Catholic missionary, the late Mother Teresa, of the service that humans should provide for the less fortunate.

“Wherever God has put you, that is your vocation. It is not what we do, but how much love we put into it,” the Albanian-Indian Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity who was beatified in 2003 and canonised in 2016 as Saint Teresa of Calcutta — 19 years after she died — said.

Both Williams and Herron are among the staff at Bethlehem, one of the homes run by Father Richard Ho Lung’s Missionaries of the Poor, in downtown Kingston.

Bethlehem is a safe haven for disabled children who are often left in hospitals or taken to the facility by parents or family members who find it difficult to properly care for them. There are even some who are simply left at the gate of the home by uncaring people.

Forty-eight year-old Williams is a jovial, hard-working, and passionate caregiver who told the Jamaica Observer that for the last 10 years, Bethlehem has been a part of her everyday life.

She explains that her introduction to volunteer work came via a friend, and she has not looked back since.

“I came to visit and fell in love with the kids. I first started as a volunteer and was later offered a job and accepted it,” she said.

Originally from St Elizabeth, Williams started in farming but later moved to Kingston where she worked at Norman Manley International Airport, before finally settling in her current field.

The married mom of six — three boys and three girls — was undaunted and quickly developed a close bond with one child in particular — Asia — whom she has ‘adopted’.

Williams explains that although she has not legally adopted Asia, the 10-year-old has become an integral part of her life and is the main reason she comes to work each day.

“God put me here, and Asia keeps me going, Williams states, her face lighting up.

“She motivates me. She constantly encourages me by saying, ‘Mommy, pray… Don’t worry’. These moments are most memorable.”

Like Williams, Herron was introduced to Bethlehem by a friend who apparently saw in her the qualities that would make her an excellent caregiver.

“My journey was rough. I became a drop out while attending Rollington Town Primary after my mom died. After that I had no one, no family to encourage me to go back to school, so I started looking [for] odd jobs and volunteering wherever I could. I have to admit, when I first came here, I was shocked; in my young mind I was unaware children like these existed. But, my friend took me here because she knew I loved to volunteer,” the 43-year-old Herron, who has one child, tells the Sunday Observer.

Herron admits that after the initial shock wore off and she began to work with the kids, she realised how gratifying it was for her.

“I am motivated… It is important for me to show up every day and ensure that I do my best and give it my all,” said Herron who now has eight years’ service at Bethlehem.

For six days each week Williams and Herron work as a team, bathing, feeding, changing and nurturing the children, tasks that both women have mastered.

They start early in the mornings changing bed linen, then prepping the children for their baths.

Herron works meticulously, scurrying to and from the bathroom, either carrying each child in her hands or in their wheelchairs, after which she hands them over to Williams who quickly towel-dries them and gets them dressed.

“Whenever I have something to do, I am just focused on getting it done,” Herron explains.

There is no time for breaks or a pause, as each patient is lifted or wheeled to the bathroom.

“Sometimes they are heavy to lift, but we have to push through and get it done,” Williams states.

Bath time is promptly followed by breakfast, another task requiring teamwork to ensure everyone is fed. Patients who are unable to chew their food are fed a liquefied meal via nipple bottles, while others are spoon-fed. For the children who are unable to feed normally, a nurse is present to administer the meal via a feeding tube attached to the stomach. The same happens whenever they are sick and require medication.

Williams and Herron, who work mainly in the female dormitory — though not confined to this area — agree that the most satisfying part of their job is knowing that the children are okay; they are clean, fed, and most importantly, they are not sick.

The women have become so accustomed to the patients — most of whom were introduced to the facility as babies, some now young adults — they know when they are unwell as they can easily read the signs. During these times they are usually taken to Kingston Public Hospital for treatment, a journey Williams admits she sometimes takes as well, when necessary.

Yet, while both women are passionate about their work they do admit that it does not come without challenges.

“When they refuse to eat or get sick, that’s the hardest part of my job,” says Herron. “It is particularly difficult when we have to adjust to doctors’ orders because they don’t fully understand the difficulty we endure when it comes to feeding them, especially those who can’t swallow properly.”

Williams agrees, adding that having to redo a task that was just completed can sometimes prove daunting. But she is always cognisant of her reality and so she moves forward.

Undoubtedly, the most distressing aspect of the job for both women is when someone dies.

“We have become so attached to them that whenever one dies, we grieve. Most of them I have known from they are young so whenever one dies, it is hard to accept; they are like family,” Herron tells the Sunday Observer.

Williams shared a similar experience. “Sometimes they die in your arms. There are times we are in the middle of getting them dressed to transport them to the hospital and they just die. These times are difficult because, essentially, we take them as our own kids.”

When asked whether they have ever thought of quitting, given that the patients they care for are afflicted with birth defects such as autism, Down’s syndrome, saudal regression syndrome, as well as musculoskeletal and neuromusculoskeletal disabilities, Williams and Herron say it has crossed their minds, but their love for the children keeps them going.

Williams says that although it can be challenging working with the small boys, she would have it no other way.

“Sometimes, immediately after we are done cleaning, they would undo all the work you just did, for you to redo. It’s rough, we have to have faith, but the love for the kids makes it worth it. Many come and leave but a few of us stay and work like soldiers — sometimes one person to 18 kids — and since none can help himselfherself we have to ensure they are clean, fed and happy. Only then will we be satisfied,” Williams states.

“This work has taught me a lot of patience,” says Herron, “and I have grown a lot — both mentally and emotionally.”

When asked where they see themselves in the next five years both women say they will continue as long as the organisation allows them, but they are not opposed to starting their own businesses.

For Herron, she has aspirations to continue in the same field, owning a daycare centre, while Williams says, “If they don’t change staff here at Bethlehem, I hope to continue because I would love to see Asia grow up. But if it doesn’t work out, a clothing business is my wish.”