Disabled teen stands tall among peers

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Like her fellow students at St Ann's Bay Primary School, who did well in the GSAT in 2008, Yanique Mendez was happy when she was selected to attend Ferncourt High in Claremont, St Ann.

It was the school of her choice and making it to Ferncourt represented yet another step in fulfilling her dreams of becoming a lawyer.

But on September 4, 2008 - only the second day of her high school life, the unthinkable happened. Yanique became the victim of a motor-vehicle accident which left her physically disabled from the waist down.

After being taken to the St Ann's Bay hospital, she was transferred to the University Hospital then to a rehabilitation facility where she spent a year and three months undergoing physical therapy.

In May, 2010 - 20 months after the accident - Yanique returned to Ferncourt high. She was placed in eighth grade where she would have been normally.

Top student

And despite spending just one term at school, out of a possible two years, Yanique stands out as a top student.

On Wednesday, Yanique was one of several students awarded during the school's orientation for passing four subjects with scores of 80 and over during end of year examinations.

"She returned to school at the beginning of the summer term and the results indicate that if she had been here from grade seven, she would have been doing extremely well, because, with only one term of school of secondary education, she was placed 11th in the class," Reverend Lenworth Sterling, principal at Ferncourt high told The Gleaner.

He added: "We are looking forward to Yanique progressing over the next couple of years at this school and doing extremely well."

It was almost a stroke of luck that landed Yanique back at Ferncourt high. After completing her rehabilitation she was being sent to a children's home, but Sterling intervened and asked that she be released in his care.

"Along with the mother, we had to seek help from the member of parliament (Lisa Hanna), councillor (Lambert Weir), Food for the Poor, Poor Relief office, etc, so that the home in which she is now living was made wheelchair accessible.

"It is a two-bedroom house with kitchen, bathroom; she is able to move from outside easily ... in her wheelchair, quite comfortably (too)," the principal said.

Transportation

Help has also come from the Florida Chapter of the Ferncourt Past Students Association which has so far provided funding to assist in transportation for the student for the month of September.

The entire school family has thrown their support behind Yanique, making sure she is comfortable, gets all the assistance she needs and the school has made some physical adjustments to accommodate her.

Ramps have been put in place on the lower floor for easy access to classes.

"But we have a greater problem on our hands," Sterling said.

"As she progresses to the higher grades, she would need to go on the second or third floor and that's where we're going to need external help because the school is not going to be able to build that kind of system by itself," the principal said.