PM Drew takes quick action to assist teen requiring treatment overseas

St. Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew took swift action to support a teenager who is lying unconscious in hospital following a severe injury while swimming at Pinneys Beach in Nevis. The father of the child, DJ Woody, aka Devon Woode, had uploaded a video online seeking help from people, and within a few hours of posting it online, Dr. Drew came forward to support the child, Kevon Woode, with medical assistance. He said that the Government of St Kitts and Nevis has a Children's Medical Fund ready to assist every child in the country and added that every child must be given the chance to live, and now medical arrangements are underway to save the teenager's life.

The child Kevon Woode, on May 5, 2024, hit his head with an object in the ocean, which led him to become unconscious for a few minutes before anyone noticed what was happening.

Reportedly, Kevon was with his mother and father on the beach, who rushed to him along with several others as soon as they noticed him struggling for his life in the ocean. The teenager was taken out of the water and was rushed to the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis.

While seeking help from everyone, Devon Woode said that the doctors stabilized him and performed a CT Scan and an X-ray, where they found that he had fluid in his lungs and three dislocated bones in his back, which caused his paralysis from his neck down.

According to the medical authorities, he is only able to communicate by moving his head back and forth and he is breathing through a respirator.

The authorities are in talks with hospitals in Trinidad, Guyana, and Santo Domingo and are awaiting to know which hospital will be able to accept him, following which Kevon Woode will be flown overseas for treatment.

The father was seen crying in the video and urging everyone to help him financially as Kevon had to be airlifted to either Guyana or Trinidad for surgery, and "that's going to cost a very, very, very large amount of money," he said.

He further added that his son is a good young man and is destined for greatness which is why he is refusing to believe that this is how is he going to spend the rest of his life.

The Prime Minister's immediate action in reaching out to the family for assistance and making the medical arrangements is being lauded by the citizens of the country, who are taking to Facebook to hail him as a true leader.

"Thank you for your prompt response, Mr PM! Holiday or not, shows you have compassion and empathy," wrote a user named Adele T McClendon while another user said, "God will bless you my prime minister you are the best in the world let us pray for Woode and his family it's not easy I cry when he speak about his son it was touching thank God for Dr Drew God will continue to bless you."