NEGRIL, Westmoreland — The handwritten, 10-word note from six-year-old Kadeea Wilson to her mom said it all. She thought her family was having trouble recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa and she wanted to help.

“Mommy, here is some money to buy blocks. Love, Kadeea,” it read.

It was all she had; $45,000 she had been saving all year from her allowance. Little Kadeea told her mom that after the blocks for the severely damaged family house were bought, she wanted to use any funds left over to help her classmates at Mount Airy Primary and Infant School in Negril get ready for the reopening of school.

It was all a misunderstanding, but the budding philanthropist’s heart was in the right place.

“Kadeea thought we had no money to start the construction,” explained her mom, Jhoenea Wilson.

“While eavesdropping on our conversation, she didn’t understand that it was a shortage of building materials. The most touching part of the entire ordeal was when she gave me a note [that said], ‘Here is some money to purchase blocks.’ She then asked if the change left over from the blocks could be used to buy some school bags and school supplies for the children at her school,” added the proud mother.

Three hundred blocks were bought, and even though Kadeea’s savings could not stretch much further, 67 bags packed with colouring books, notebooks, pencil cases, erasers, sharpeners, pencils, reading books, pens, and even toys were donated to students. In addition, an iron was donated to the school’s staffroom.

“I wanted to help my schoolmates because some were affected by Hurricane Melissa — and their parents work at hotels but some of the hotels mash up,” Kadeea explained.

School Principal Nichol Jackson is proud of the little girl’s instinctive inclination to be selfless.

“She had said to me that she is concerned about the little children like her who would have been affected by Hurricane Melissa. She wanted to do for those children what she could from what she had — to make them happy like her,” Jackson shared.

“She is already a blessing — and she’s this young. If a small child like this can do something this big, can you imagine what it would be like if all of us as adults did just the same?” she added.

Kadeea is mirroring her parents’ behaviour. The Wilsons had planned to host a November event dubbed the JD Wilson Rabbitry’s Be That Model Family. The storm blew it off track, but they have repurposed donations received into making Kadeea’s desire to help her schoolmates a reality.

The mother is grateful for the sponsors that came on board: Rick’s Café, New West Auto, Tris Cakes, Chriss Ann Tours, Patsy’s Pastry, Chupps Apparel, Sir Mac Auto, Mannicho, Eventfull Moments Ja, Vision Eyecare, Tafara Farms, and Kellz Essentials.

Coupled with that gratitude, the Wilsons are counting their blessings as they received help getting their house rebuilt after the contractor employed to do the job had a challenge getting his team on the ground, as they were helping others impacted by the storm.

The family is also grateful that its rabbitry business withstood the winds of the Category 5 hurricane on October 28. Moving forward, it will also be a source of any help they extend to their neighbours.

The rabbitry is also what they are relying on to secure their daughter’s future.

“I pray we live long enough, and the rabbitry continues to be successful, so we can ensure Kadeea’s dream of being a dentist becomes a reality,” said Jhoenea.

The Wilsons’ house, which was damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

Sisters Naje (left) and Kadeea Wilson help their father, Constable Damion Wilson, tend to rabbits at the family business, JD Wilson Rabbitry.

Back row (from left) are Sergeant Charles Campbell, Corporal Alfred Shippy, Constable David Bernard, Constable Damion Wilson, Constable Darnel Donald, Constable Ruhane Virtue from the police force’s Marine Department, which was instrumental in getting the Wilsons’ house repaired. They provided labour when the contractor employed had a challenge getting his team on the ground as they were helping others impacted by the storm. In the front row (from left) are little Naje Wilson; Jhoenea Wilson; Nichol Jackson, principal of Mount Airy Primary and Infant School, along with six-year-old Kadeea Wilson.

The note little Kadeea Wilson gave her mother Jhoenea, along with her contribution to the repair of their house following Hurricane Melissa.