FAREWELL, KELSEY
Tears, tributes, and calls for justice for wronged children mark emotional funeral for 9-y-o slain in home attack
Published:Tuesday | June 10, 2025 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Clad in pink, the colour that nine-year-old Kelsey Ferrigon loved most, mourners gathered on Monday at the Spanish Town Seventh-day Adventist Church to say farewell to a child whose life was tragically cut short.
Kelsey, a grade-three student at St John’s Primary School, was murdered at her home on May 9, plunging her family, school, and community into grief.
The atmosphere inside the church was both reverent and raw with emotion, as family, friends, schoolmates, and national leaders paid tribute to a child remembered for her intelligence, cheerfulness, and determination. Her peers presented dramatic tributes in song, dub poetry, and dance, all condemning the violence that ended her life.
“Lock up the perpetrators that commit acts of violence against children!” one student passionately declared during a performance, capturing the mood of a community outraged by the brutal loss.
Louise Clarke, principal of St John’s Primary School, gave an emotional tribute, visibly shaken by the loss of one of her brightest young stars.
“The moment has left my heart quite heavy and my soul burdened,” Clarke shared. “Kelsey was not a troublemaker or a troubled child. In fact, her teacher further described her as the problem solver, the one who was always trying to fix whatever was wrong in the class.”
She described Kelsey as a dedicated student who brought enthusiasm to her lessons and warmth to her school community.
“Mothers shouldn’t have to bury their babies, and caskets should not be this small,” Clarke said solemnly. “Rest assured that the name Kelsey Ferrigon will always live on at St John’s Primary.”
In a gesture of remembrance and support, the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce announced a scholarship established in Kelsey’s name – an enduring legacy for a child who loved to learn.
Georgia Anderson, Kelsey’s mother, sat in silent sorrow throughout the ceremony, struggling to process the tragedy that had befallen her family. Her pain was shared by Matthew Smith, Kelsey’s cousin and neighbour, who painted a tender portrait of the little girl he once played with.
“Kelsey would listen to me when I talk to her, and one day I called her and said, ‘I don’t like how when I talk, you don’t listen.’ After that, I see where she had changed, so I am proud of her,” Smith said, his voice cracking with emotion.
He recalled simple, sweet moments – her laughter, her love for mashed potatoes, and the way she and her friends would visit him at his pig farm just to chat.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange also attended the service. She delivered a tribute to the child whose death has become a symbol of the urgent need to protect Jamaica’s children.
“To the students and teachers of St John’s Primary, Kelsey was happy there. You made her see happiness, even for a short while, and the promise of success,” she said.
“Words are not enough to say to you that you were blessed with a beautiful and excellent child and that you did your best, and God will remember that,” she said, offering comfort to the grieving mother.
Grange, who shared a personal connection with Kelsey’s mother through her constituency, called for a national awakening.
“Let this be a call to continue supporting all our students with love, offering them the promise of a life of prosperity, even as we cover them in vigilance and loving support,” she urged.
“I make this special appeal that we care for and continue protecting our children. We send a strong message that violence against children will not be tolerated.”
Her voice trembling, she ended her tribute with a poetic farewell: “To sweet Kelsey, may the pitter-patter of your little feet make music with other little angels in God’s holy sanctuary.”