Dancer who survived stabbing ‘shaken up’ by schoolgirl’s killing
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jeneva ‘Spirit’ Sawyers, the 19-year-old dancer who was stabbed three weeks ago, allegedly by another dancer, says she was “shaken up” after seeing the shocking video circulating on social media showing the fatal knife attack on 17-year-old student Michion Campbell, a female student of Kingston Technical High.
“When I saw the video of the girl from KT who was stabbed, it shook me up. I said ‘ah me this couple weeks ago’, and mi de ya, look how I could have lost my life too,” Sawyers told OBSERVER ONLINE.
Sawyers was stabbed after leaving an event at a popular restaurant, bar and lounge on Hagley Park Road in St Andrew.
READ: Dancer stabbed outside St Andrew club; family appeals for blood
“We have to find a better way to settle our differences peacefully, this happens way too much, there is far too much violence in our society,” Sawyers said. “The conflict was never needed, based on the video I saw.”
Campbell was stabbed several times by another girl just hours after she completed an exam on Thursday.
READ: ‘I saw her take her last breath’
According to a report from the police’s Corporate Communications Unit, at 2:30 pm, Campbell and a schoolmate got into a heated argument that became physical. Both girls received stab wounds and Campbell was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Kingston Public Hospital. The other girl was treated for minor injuries and is in police custody.
“My condolences to both families, this is a rough time for our society, too many killings, too much violence,” Sawyers said.
Despite her recent negative experiences, Sawyers is contemplating a return to the dancehall within the next two weeks as her wounds gradually heal. She is also seeking to expand her horizons by inventing her own dance moves.
“I can’t wait to get back out there, I really miss dancing, I want to promote RT’s songs, Shake and Go Dung, and gwaan wid miself again,” she said, laughing.
Sawyers, a member of Royalty Divazs, managed by former spiritual adviser Nardo ‘RT Boss’ Smith, said that she is healing well.
“I am breathing properly now, I did therapy while I was in the hospital, and I have a device I have to use to build up my lung capacity,” she said.
She has been using a combination of stomach and pain medication since her release from hospital. Sawyers said that the knife punctured a one centimetre hole in the wall of the lungs.
“The doctors said I am blessed,” she said.
She will be making an appearance on October 25 in the Corporate Area Criminal court to face her attacker for the first time.
“The whole episode has been traumatising, I didn’t feel everything till I came out of the hospital and looked back at what happened. It never really lick me and mi look back and realised that I could have died that night,” she said.
“Even now, I don’t know why she (allegedly) stabbed me. I was already in the car, she stabbed me through the window. We had an argument before but we never had any physical conflict, ah just talk and a cuss and ah mek noise,” Sawyers continued.
Despite the trauma, Sawyers has not undergone any counselling or psychiatric evaluation since surviving her own stabbing attack.
“I think I can get through it…mi not that soft, mi can go through it, I am a survivor,” she said.