It’s not quite the story of from nowhere to somewhere for J’Vonelle Simpson. In fact, it’s much more compelling, from being shot in the leg to becoming a footballer and now a scientist.

The 34-year-old Simpson was shot in the leg as a six-year-old by a stray bullet while living in Tivoli Gardens, an experience that changed her life forever.

“From that incident, my mom was instructed that I should do sports as a form of physical therapy. I started track and field and then transitioned into football at about age nine under the coaching of Christopher Burnett,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Born and raised in Tivoli Gardens, Simpson attended St Aloysius Primary School and then Camperdown High School before migrating to Missouri after accepting a football scholarship at Park University and completing a bachelor’s degree in biology, while minoring in chemistry.

“I work as a clinical laboratory scientist in the area of transplantation and histocompatibility, where I work alongside doctors and nurses to decide who gets what organ, why and when. I do the diagnosis and testing,” she revealed.

But despite being shot in Tivoli Gardens, Simpson sees a lot of positives in a community feared and despised by others.

“Tivoli has been painted as the worst garrison, but to live there it’s a totally different experience.

“Living in Tivoli Gardens wasn’t really a hindrance to me growing up. I loved living there. The only problem I had was the noise from all the partying,” she noted.

“We do experience violence there but I was more focused on getting out because I didn’t want my brothers to become a statistic,” Simpson pointed out.

After playing with boys in the Under-13 competitions, she joined Browns Town Dynamos in the Women’s League then Harbour View Football Club. Her displays earn her call-ups to Jamaica’s Under-17 and Under-20 teams.

“I am well respected in my community. I never caused problems with anyone. I used to play ball outside with the men on a regular basis but after I got drafted to train in the national team, they didn’t allow me to play with them anymore,” said Simpson.

While at Camperdown High, the talented footballer caught the eyes of the national selectors and was a part of Jamaica’s Under-20 team that included Nicole McClure, Shanise Steel, Natasha Douglas, Abegail Walker, Monique Pryce, Christina Murray, Peta Gay Soman, Kenesha Reid, Shakira Duncan, and Simone Honeygan.

Simpson, who was also deputy head girl, left Camperdown with 15 subjects overall, seven in CSEC subjects and eight in CAPE and took up her football scholarship to Park University in 2009.

Now a certified molecular biologist, Simpson has been working in the laboratory for 11 years where she started making vaccines for animals before crossing over to infectious diseases and now into histocompatibility and immunology.

“I feel very accomplished. I couldn’t have done it without the help of other people that God sent to help me along this journey,” said Simpson.

“I would tell younger kids from the inner city, to believe in themselves, never be afraid to ask for help, surround themselves with positive people and no matter how hard it gets, never give up,” she concluded.

HW