IN the heart of Olympic Gardens, St Andrew, where the rhythm of blaring music collides with occasional bursts of violence, one young man is steadily writing a different story.

Delmar Squire, a final-year medical student at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), is the “resident doctor” in his neighbourhood. And while, like his colleagues, he is buried in textbooks or recovering from long shifts, Squire is also using his limited downtime to give free wellness checks to elderly residents in his community.

Twenty-three-year-old Squire, who is a recipient of the J Wray & Nephew Foundation Scholarship, said the practice began last year during his clinical rotations at University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).

“They saw me there and they’d normally ask me, ‘You know, I got this medication from my doctor, what is it about?’ And they would tell me that the doctor did not explain what this medication is, and what certain things are on the prescription, so they would ask me for a further explanation whenever they saw me — and I was always happy to help,” Squire told the Jamaica Observer.

He explained that many of his neighbours, who are elderly, have the necessary medical equipment at home but lack the knowledge to use it. As a result, he is often asked to interpret blood pressure readings, explain medications, and assess basic symptoms.

“They’ll come to me at various times and say, ‘Hey, when you’re finished with school or whatever you’re doing, can you come and test my blood pressure for me? Can you tell me if it’s high? Can you tell me if it’s low, and what I need to do in terms of my diet?” he said.

One such visit, he believes, may have saved a neighbour’s life.

Final-year medical student Delmar Squire listens as his neighbour Rolda Tulloch gives him advice and shares her gratitude for all he has done for her, especially on days when she is not feeling well. (Photos: Naphtali Junior)

“I remember one of our neighbours who lived very close, she had a very high blood pressure and very high sugar level at the time. She was showing features of having a somewhat mild stroke but she came to me, she asked me to explain to her, [and] I told her that her pressure was extremely elevated and her blood pressure was high. And then, she was also experiencing some weakness. Luckily, she was sent to the hospital with her husband and found out it was actually a mild stroke,” he said.

Born and raised in Simmons Park, a small community in Olympic Gardens, Squire has lived through the community’s challenges. Among the most painful for him was the murder of his older brother.

“When it happened I was just leaving high school, just finished my CAPE [Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination] exams. I cannot forget waking up early that Sunday morning and seeing him right at the corner… on the ground with gunshot wounds,” he recalled, his voice full of sadness.

Despite the grief and trauma, Squire refused to relocate and grew more invested in uplifting the community where violence, poverty, and hardship often intersect.

His motivation to study medicine, he explained, did not stem from the often-romanticised notion of saving lives but rather from a practical desire to understand illnesses and improve his circumstances.

“I like to give myself a challenge, so I did medicine. But really, I knew that I wanted to do medicine because, at the time, I wanted to, one, get myself out of my community, and two, I remember I had an aunt who had kidney disease, and I wanted to understand what that was all about,” he told the Observer.

However, before he developed a love for medicine Squire shared that his academic journey in high school began with difficulty, with test scores of 30 and 40 per cent once feeling like accomplishments, he said.

But that changed in grade 10 when Calabar High removed its traditional class streaming, placing him among more focused peers who motivated him to improve.

“I realised that I was in a class where persons were doing their homework early. So you got the homework today, you did it today, versus me who got the homework today and on the day it was due I was trying to reach school early to do it before the teacher comes. So when I started to mix with those types of persons I realised that I’m now getting 80s, and 90s,” he said.

When Squire got to grade 11, Calabar had reintroduced the streaming system, but he remained in the upper tier. With more attentive teachers and a newfound interest in the sciences, he said he began to thrive.

J Wray and Nephew Foundation Scholarship recipient and final-year medical student Delmar Squire telling the Jamaica Observer that his motivation to study medicine did not stem from the often-romanticised notion of saving lives, but from a practical desire to understand illnesses and improve his circumstances.

“The teachers were now more interactive. They started to put more effort into me, and I started to like the sciences… I just developed a real passion for it. I wasn’t in the business mindset at all; business basic was just not about me. So I started to like biochemistry, physics, and then I just developed a real passion for it,” he explained.

Squire’s dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed by those around him. His neighbours, many of whom have known him since he was a child, speak with pride about the young man they’ve watched grow into a role model.

“You see, the thing is that I don’t have any bad thing to say about him because I never hear of him doing anything that is bad or [that he’s involved] in any bad company, or anything of that sort,” Rolda Tulloch, a long-time resident of the community, told the Observer.

“I know him from he is a baby. He is a quiet person, and him don’t mix like you would see the other boys outside there playing football and all these things. He is always inside with book,” she added.

Tulloch, who benefits from Squire’s free medical checks, said his support makes a meaningful difference in her life and that of other residents.

“He helps me with my blood pressure and with other checks, and he will do anything he can for me. It helps me, because I don’t have to go outside the area and pay to do these things. So, if mi head a hurt me he will tell me what to do and give me medical advice, and I don’t have to always go doctor,” Tulloch shared.

She added that Squire’s caring nature has its foundation in his upbringing, especially the influence of his grandmother, Kathleen Evering.

“He is a grandmother boy, you know, and that is why he cares for people so much, because him get that from his grandmother and helping to take care of her,” Tulloch explained.

For Evering, her grandson’s mindset is a testament to faith, perseverance and the support of the community.

Final-year medical student Delmar Squire with his neighbours Gwendalyn Smith (left) and Rolda Tulloch (second left) and his grandmother Kathleen Evering.

“Teacher come from here, lawyer come from here, doctors, politicians, economists and auditors — all kinds of people come from here and mix within the community,” she said, proudly listing some of the professionals Olympic Gardens has produced despite its challenges.

“Yes, you have violence in here but we have a prayer group, and nobody knows us but 12 of us come together and pray. Prayer is what keep children going. And let me tell you something: Is not bad, bad people live in the community but you have to know how to live with people,” she added.

Evering said that while the family didn’t have the financial means to fund Squire’s medical school education, others stepped in to help when they saw his potential.

“We nuh have any money fi mek him go turn doctor. Where we fi get it from?” she said jokingly.

“But people see the potential in him and invest in him because he is a good youth and him always help people — and it’s the good that you do in life that follows you right through,” she added.

That financial lifeline came in the form of the J Wray & Nephew Foundation (JWNF) Scholarship, which Squire received in his fourth year.

He recalled feeling like a tremendous burden had been lifted off his shoulders the day he received confirmation, via e-mail, about the scholarship.

“I felt like I accomplished something… to know that I no longer have to worry about a portion of my school fee not being paid, so it really took a lot off me financially. My parents are more happy than me but it did take a lot off me financially,” he shared with a big smile.

With his final year of medical school nearly complete, Squire is now thinking about the future — and it involves continuing to serve the people who helped raise him in his community.

“My goal is to have a practice very close to my community where these persons are able to, you know, come there and get their various check-ups. I don’t plan to charge them, to be honest. If not, then I would work at the clinic in my community part-time to ensure that I can see these persons in my community. But it’s just about giving back time. You have to be grateful to the people who have helped you at any point along your way,” he said.

Delmar Squire walks along a street in Simmonds Park, Olympic Gardens, where he lives.

Final-year medical student Delmar Squire gets a hug from his grandmother Kathleen Evering.