Fund-raising drive for killer cop's widow

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Relatives of Joan Llewellyn, the lone survivor of the April 7 gun attack in Three Hills, St Mary, have launched an album to raise funds towards her recovery.

Llewellyn's niece, Shae Miller, said her aunt, who is paralysed from the neck down, needs to be moved to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, to aid in her recovery. She said the fees associated with her treatment there is appoximately US$60,000 (J$5 million) per month.

Shepherd Center is one of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the United States, specialising in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord or brain injury.

Joan Llewellyn has been in the United States for the past two weeks receiving treatment.

Her husband, police Corporal Wayne Llewellyn, had barged into her parents' home, killing, four persons - Joan's parents, her daughter and brother. He shot Joan in the neck and later took his own life.

five tracks

"We did a tribute album with five tracks basically to raise some funds for Auntie Joan," Miller told The Gleaner on Tuesday.

"Music is what I do so, this is my part, this is what I'm doing with St Paul. It's my contribution to help get Auntie Joan back a hundred per cent," she added.

The album, done by Miller, who goes by the name Shae Mill, and US-based artiste, Paul Allen, aka St Paul, is titled Songs To Joan. Among the tracks are Missing You, In Memory Of, and Saviour of My Soul.

Allen's St Paul Music Connection (SPMC) and Barrington Martin's Bleeky Blong studios in Retreat, St Mary, collaborated to make the effort a reality.

Allen said: "The idea came out of knowing Grandma Brown (Rachael Brown, Joan's mother) and the person that she was. When I got a chance to speak to Shae, she said, listen, this is no time for tears, this is the time to do what Grandma would have done. She said Grandma would have told us to do our best to help her baby. Joan is considered Grandma's baby."

Allen said he is in the process of releasing another album, also in collaboration with Bleeky Blong, titled Top 10 - I Love Jamaica, but decided to put it on hold to concentrate on the fund-raiser.

"Joan's spirit is 'I'm gonna walk again!' I know her spirit is good and it's a blessing, but it's not enough to get her walking again," said Allen.

"The purpose of the album is to support Joan's ability to walk again; it's not going to be easy in terms of medical expenses, in terms of therapy, in terms of keeping her in the US under those kinds of treatment. It's very, very intense."

Singles from the album may be downloaded at www.stpaulmusic.info for 99 US cents or two for US$1.50.

Accounts have also been set up for contributions. In Atlanta, it is Wells Fargo Bank, account 270 604 1221; routing 061 000 227 (name Evelyn McFarlane, c/o Joan Llewellyn). In Jamaica, it is Jamaica National Building Society, St Ann's Bay, account 105 8778.