Grand Turk Mother’s Plea for help goes unanswered, hours later her son, 32 is dead

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, June 27, 2022 –  A video posted to Facebook over the weekend is raising concerns not only about the promptness but the thoroughness with which concerns about possibly mentally ill persons are investigated and dealt with in the Turks and Caicos.

Blinding in its love and sincerity, Sharon Prospere’s video is almost hard to watch, with tears in her eyes she pleads “please all who hear me, I’m crying out for help for my child”. In the video posted on Saturday morning, the mother tearfully explains that she needs assistance because her son Garrick ‘is not himself’.

Soon the Turks and Caicos would grieve Garrick’s death along with her, as the news came that in the early hours of Saturday morning when many would likely have been asleep, a car crash took his life before her earnest plea could be answered.

“No one will help me?  y’all don’t know, I cannot sleep… I have people but they’re not here to help me. Hear my cry Lord, please help Garrick.  He’s not the same… help me before he hurts himself or he hurts me and he doesn’t know what he’s doing until it’s too late ” Sharon pleaded.

According to the police, Garrick passed away at 2:27 Saturday morning from injuries he received when a stolen vehicle he was travelling in crashed on Pond Street in Grand Turk but Sharon had been requesting help long before his death or the emotional video.

Sharon had noticed her son was exhibiting behaviour that concerned her and brought the issue to those she thought could help.

“I went to the mental people and asked for help. They told me that they were coming to assist me…they never came.”

An investigation is now launched into why the Mental Health Unit failed to respond to this family, said Jamell Robinson, Minister of Health and Human Services on Sunday.  He has also agreed to provide the protocol established when a situation like Ms. Prospere’s arises, as it appears the ball was dropped with a most devastating outcome.

Before her visit, Garrick had been exhibiting threatening behaviour and she was concerned he would hurt himself or her. When the persons she had sought help from did not come and Garrick continued to get worse she sought help elsewhere.

“I went to the police. I asked the police to help me with Garrick, the police told me they would help me but the mental health people have to come there and assist them.”

From there things only got more complicated for Sharon, her son burnt her bible which prompted even more concern. When she requested aid again she was sent back and forth between the police and the mental health authorities.

“The mental people say the police gotta come to them, I  wonder who has to come to who? What are you gonna do? wait until you all see dead bodies? Please I’m crying out for help for my child because he is not the same.”

Sharon is not the only islander to complain. Earlier this year a business owner reached out to Magnetic Media complaining of a re-offender who kept breaking into his premises to steal. The resident stressed that instead of jail the young man needed to be cared for in an institution that knew how to handle him.

The situation is a tragedy, exacerbated by the fact that Sharon earnestly and repeatedly sought help from the relevant authorities to no avail.

There must be more ardent investigation of claims of all kinds in the Turks and Caicos. The incident raises questions regarding the proper protocol for dealing with these situations and whether that protocol was followed, and if it was whether it is effective enough to protect islanders.