Doctor heads to Jamaica to help victims of Hurricane Melissa
By Zitlali Solache
Click here for updates on this story
BOYNTON BEACH, Florida (WPTV) — A Boynton Beach nonprofit is stepping up to help those devastated by Hurricane Melissa, traveling all the way to Jamaica to provide medical care and support.
Living Well Community Care, founded by Dr. Joan Williamson, is a faith-based organization dedicated to serving communities in crisis. Dr. Williamson, a local family nurse practitioner who was born and raised in Jamaica, said her own experiences living through destructive hurricanes in the 1980s inspired her to create the nonprofit.
“When you have experienced poverty of your own, and now you see others going through the same thing, you put yourself in their position,” said Williamson. “And for this reason, I have always had this desire to always go back.”
Last year, her team of doctors, nurses, and medical professionals traveled to assist more than 600 patients after Hurricane Beryl. This time, the impact of Hurricane Melissa has reignited that mission.
“My entire family lives there. Many of them have lost their roofs, they have lost their houses,” said Williamson. “They have still can’t find some of my family members, so this is now more personal for me.”
Williamson and her team plan to travel to rural areas of Jamaica to provide medical assessments, first aid, and antibiotics while also working to prevent chronic diseases through early intervention.
“I’ve just seen extreme devastation. Extreme,’ said Williamson. “Bodies still can’t be found. There’s stench because there are still bodies underneath. The rescue teams-they are doing a great job. But nowhere to live. The houses are damaged. Cuts and bruises and infections.”
WPTV reporter Zitlali Solache also spoke with Veroll Smith, a resident of Jamaica, who described the fear of living through the storm.
“It was one of the most terrifying experiences,’ said Smith. “In Jamaica, we have a style where we say everything is alright, man, everything will be alright, but everything is not alright. I can tell you that. We are not good, we need the help.”
Williamson hopes her organization’s work will bring relief to families like Smith’s. Fifty medical professionals with Living Well Community Care will be on the ground in Jamaica from Nov. 21 through Dec. 6.
“I want people to live well and that’s our ultimate goal,” said Williamson.
This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.