The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE mother of an 18-year-old youth found dead next to The Tribune on Thursday said he suffered from seizures and died several hours after escaping from the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Devon Rolle died less than a week after his birthday, leaving behind heartbroken relatives among them his six-year-old brother, who reportedly cried and told his mother Thursday night: “Mummy, I have to be the big brother for my other two brothers and sister.”

Chakara Burrows said her second oldest child had occasionally suffered seizures from the time he was 16 and was hospitalised on Tuesday for treatment.

“Every time he has a seizure, he has them serious set where he be talking out of his head,” she said.

She said Princess Margaret Hospital staff called her before 7pm Thursday to say Devon had run away.

She said the staff emphasised that he returned because he hadn’t finished his treatment and required more tests.

“They told me that if he don’t come back in 24 hours, I’ll have to start the procedure all over again at Accident and Emergency,” she said, adding that his father searched for him while she stayed at home awaiting updates.

 Later that day, she got a call from the Central Police Station.

 She said as soon as she reached the station, she told officers what the hospital staff had said.

 “I say he probably talk out of his head, he might’ve fight y’all or whatever the situation is, but I say I stand in the gap for my son. The people closed the door and say ‘mum, I hate to inform you, but we found your son dead,’” she recalled.

 She questioned why PMH’s staff didn’t tell her about her son’s disappearance sooner.

 She said: “They told my baby daddy he ran away from 4.50pm, so I say why in the world y’all just calling me minutes to seven to tell me my child ran away from long time?”

 “Even if he run away, why ain’t nobody ran behind him? Why the security didn’t stop him? Why nobody stop him cuz you know on them wards, they have security walking up and down so even if something like that happened, they could’ve run out and say security, security.”

 Ms Burrows said the hospital called her on Friday to schedule a meeting on Monday.

She said her son washed cars for a living and wanted to be an entrepreneur.

 Officers at the scene on Thursday told The Tribune they spoke with the teenager moments before he died and he appeared disoriented.

 Devon’s friend, Kenniqua Taylor, said he loved his younger siblings.

 “They were like his children,” she said. “He didn’t party. He didn’t go out.”