The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

CHILD advocates are worried about the recent suspicious deaths of two infants in separate incidents.

On September 12, the body of 22-month-old Anwar Miller was discovered inside a bedroom in an apartment complex on Family Street, off Soldier Road.

Anwar’s body had no visible wounds, though there was skin discolouration.

Following the incident, the landlord of the apartment complex, identified as Anwar’s father, Jermaine Miller, suffered a cardiac arrhythmia and died.

Seven days later, on September 19, a seven-month-old baby girl was brought into Princess Margaret Hospital unresponsive shortly before 9pm.

A male family member brought the infant into the hospital, and a doctor later pronounced the child dead.

Yesterday, police officials had no update on the cause of death of either infant.

“It’s a crying shame, and people don’t realize the value of a child’s life,” said Patrice Hanna-Carey, a child advocate and head of the Hanna-Carey Cares Foundation.

“It’s a crying shame when parents feel like their lives are more important, or what they have going on is more important than a child, because the child is young.”

Mrs Hanna Carey called on parents to seek solutions before situations turn to neglect or even death.

“There are systems in place, even though it seems like there is none,” she said yesterday. “We have church. We have state. We have neighbours. We have friends. There’s really no more excuse for any individual. The law will not fail to hold into account every parent and guardian of every child.

“There is more than one avenue to seek out for help. Don’t stop until you get the assistance that you need. Our children are suffering. And now they’re not only suffering to the extent where it may be some compromise for their health, but now we are seeing where they are faced with the ultimate death.”

“We’re calling for everyone in our populace to stop the hurt that you are feeling, stop transferring it onto our children, no more infant deaths, so much sudden infant deaths, no unexplained infant deaths,” she said.

“Whenever you see instances that have escalated to child abuse, neglect, violence against children or sudden infant deaths, then that in itself tells us that there is something very wrong within our nation.”