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Remembering Stephanie Suazo; her Mother continues a Quest for Answers to the heart-crushing loss of a promising 11-year-old

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By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer 

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, March 2, 2023 – At eleven years old Stephanie Suazo used to play a game with her mother Myriam, pretending to be asleep in bed so her mother would come over and tickle her till she laughed; but on January 29th 2020 when Myriam tickled her daughter she didn’t move, and blood was dripping from her mouth.  Within hours she was declared dead by medical personnel. It seemed impossible, Myriam told us, because only the day before she had taken her daughter to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre where she was assured her daughter was not seriously ill.

TUESDAY JANUARY 28th, 2020.

Over the phone and with palpable sadness, Myriam relived the moments, saying she had taken the day off that Tuesday and went to the hospital around 6:30 a.m. She waited with Stephanie for around two and a half hours before they could see a doctor and when they finally did,

“[The doctor] just looked at her and asked her how she was feeling and looked at her throat– [the doctor] said maybe she’s coming down with the cold and [prescribed] her some antibiotics, paracetamol and something for her throat, and then said to me, she should be able to go back to school on Thursday.”

She wasn’t okay.

In fact, her autopsy would eventually reveal that Stephanie had viral myocarditis unbeknownst to Myriam and undetected by the doctor.

Allowed to take Stephanie home, the unsuspecting mother, armed with chicken soup and medication prescribed by the TCI Hospitals’ physician, fed and medicated her child with the belief that she would be fine by morning.

As she shared the events, despite holding back tears, Myriam was clear and coherent and recalled with painful precision, the worst day of her life.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29th, 2020

Recently hired at the bank and not wanting to take too many days off, Myriam explained she had arranged for her close friend to take care of Stephanie while she went to work. After feeding her daughter and giving her the prescribed medication, Myriam says she made sure Stephanie was comfortable being without her for the day, kissed her and left.

“When I got to work, I told my supervisor that I was not going to take lunch because I wanted to leave early. It‘s just how I am. If I know she’s not well, I can’t be at peace.” she said.

But by around 4 pm, Myriam got a call from her friend who put Stephanie on the phone, she complained of a stomach ache and Myriam immediately made arrangements for them to go to Graceway Medical Centre, but they never made it.

The trip for a second opinion never happened because once Myriam got home intending to head to the doctor (after another phone call in which her daughter complained of ‘feeling cold’) her friend informed, ‘Stephanie was asleep.’ Knowing her daughter’s little game, Myriam went in to tickle her and realized something was very wrong.

“I called her: I said ‘baby’ and she didn’t respond so I knew she was waiting for me to tickle her. I tickled her and she didn’t respond.”  Myriam explained,  “I put my hand under her head and then I took her in my arms, that’s when I saw the blood coming out of her mouth. I started screaming ‘my baby my baby’.”

She immediately called 911 requesting an ambulance, but Myriam says they took too long to arrive.

“I gave them the address over and over– they took forever. I was just screaming so my friend was there doing CPR. [my friend] was pressing her chest and blood was coming out of her mouth. The police arrived first and they continued doing CPR for her and the ambulance still didn’t come. The police had to flash their sirens for them to find the house.”

After that everything was a whirlwind, a blur told she was not allowed in the ambulance, she was driven to the hospital by police and less than an hour after arriving doctors came to tell her that her little girl did not make it, allowing her to say goodbye.

“I was in shock- looking at her like this is not for real,” she told us in tears. “We were always together and I had to leave her at the hospital that night.”

Beside herself with grief Myriam tells us she didn’t sleep, she kept thinking that it wasn’t real, that her daughter would wake up. Her only solace, a kind police officer.

“I was still hopeful like she was going to wake up. I spent the whole night calling Albert, he’s a police officer” she explained to us “He was the one that arrived, and I called him all night. I told him please have someone check the morgue, maybe she might get up. And he told me okay I’m going to have someone check for you.”

The day following Stephanie’s passing Myriam says she was dragged to the police station, and continuously interviewed about Stephanie’s death.

THURSDAY JANUARY 30th  2020

“It was so weird, it almost seemed like they thought I had done something to my daughter; investigating me instead of the hospital. It was a nightmare.”

They took her daughter’s passport, laptop and phone and initially refused to give them back. The hospital released a press statement she explained, without really talking to her, and her daughter’s picture, unauthorized by her, was shared nationally. It was only through the help of a very close friend, whom she describes as more of a mother to her, that Myriam was able to recover her daughter’s personal effects from the police. She claims the police “lied” about finding suspicious searches on her laptop describing it all as a horror story.

The situation with the TCI Hospitals and Stephanie’s medical records was similar.  We were told the documents were only received after a lot of running around, a lot of back and forth.

Today, Myriam feels her matter lacked urgent, respectful attention because she lacked clout.

“I’m just a regular person so it’s like her life doesn’t matter because of that, that’s how I feel. They completely disregarded me like I didn’t even matter. The autopsy results, the bloodwork, they didn’t want to give us anything so we had to keep chasing after them to give it to us.”

She feels that in the aftermath the hospital washed its hands of the incident making her out to be responsible, and now feels duped, like her faith in them was misplaced.

“I’m not God. I don’t know why it happened but I feel that at least I took her to the hospital. I feel like if they had just looked at her properly or done some examinations” she broke off “Don’t just look at her and say nothing is wrong with her. You prescribed her things, I go home and then she’s dead the next day? And everyone acts like it’s normal, it’s nothing.”

THREE YEARS LATER

Myriam continues to have concerns about the strength of the medication prescribed and administered to her daughter.  On this three year anniversary, Magnetic Media is told that  Stephanie’s toxicology report listed several medications as being in the child’s system including ACETAMINOPHEN and PHENIRAMINE which have documented cases, though rare, of cardiac toxicity.

“When the lady gave me the medication I remember telling her those are adult medications and she told me that once a child is 11 years old they start prescribing them adult medications.”

Three years later Myriam just wants justice for her daughter, but time is running out for her to file a case and she needs her daughter’s story to be heard. She said she tried to file a case and her first lawyer agreed to take it, had agreed she had a viable case and expressed suspicion regarding the autopsy results but suddenly backed out.

“Everyone I turn to, no one can help me. I went to another lawyer just the day before yesterday and he said I’m not going to lie to you, there are many people who have taken the hospital to court and they have failed. It’s the hospital and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Stephanie’s autopsy states a probable cause of death as viral myocarditis, a type of heart disease caused when viral infections reach the heart inflaming its muscles and making it difficult to pump blood. Several infections can cause myocarditis including Influenza (flu) virus, Coxsackie virus, Parvovirus, Adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Myriam, in telling us about how pleasant and precious and fill of potential Stephanie was, says she is determined to be a champion for her child, even though she is no longer physically here.

“You will never know how it feels until it happens. It’s not going to bring her back but I want her story to be heard and people need to know that she was here. That she had dreams. She was a good and grateful person and so positive,” she said.

Now Myriam cannot bear to be in the place where her daughter passed away and every time she sees someone her daughter’s age, the broken-hearted mother wonders what could have been.

We have reached out to the hospital for answers to these burning questions and about a case which stunned the nation; a case which soon lost steam in the head to head challenge against the then unprecedented uniqueness of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

While TCI Hospitals, following our news report in TCI Top Stories (audio newscast) has responded to the mother with the intention of ensuring Myriam is supplied her daughter’s records; it was a short-lived hope for something more, as the family is already in possession of those records.

On the belief and allegation of her family that the death of young Stephanie Suazo back in 2020 was due to medical negligence or incompetence of some sort, we continue to await a formal statement from InterHealth Canada TCI Hospitals.

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Search for Missing American Tourist Intensifies in Turks and Caicos

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U.S. Officials, Family Join Local Efforts as Disappearance Enters Ninth Day

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor and Wilkie Arthur | Eagle Legal News

 

Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – The United States Department of State has confirmed it is aware of the disappearance of American citizen Brian Tarrence in Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is actively assisting in the ongoing investigation. Tarrence’s mother is now on the island, anxiously hoping for good news as the search for her son enters its ninth day.

Tarrence, 51, of New York, vanished on June 25 while vacationing with his wife in Providenciales. The couple was staying at the Inn at Grace Bay in a privately rented villa booked via Airbnb. CCTV footage reviewed by Eagle Legal News shows Tarrence walking away from the property around 3:00 a.m., alone and without signs of immediate distress. He has not been seen since.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is treating the case as high priority, and a search operation is underway in Grace Bay, with efforts expanding to The Bight and nearby districts. U.S. private investigator Carl DeFazio, hired by Tarrence’s family, is also on the ground and working alongside local authorities.

“We are tracking any activity—credit cards, digital devices—that could point us toward his location,” said DeFazio. “This is a coordinated effort, and we are committed to bringing Brian home.”

Sources close to the investigation say Tarrence may have been in a vulnerable state prior to his disappearance. His wife reported that he had relapsed into alcohol use and was displaying increasingly erratic behavior, including signs of paranoia and delusional speech. He reportedly believed people were outside their villa and made concerning remarks hours before he disappeared.

When his wife woke that morning, Tarrence—and his phone and wallet—were gone. The devices remain unreachable, and no transactions or confirmed sightings have been reported.

His wife continues to cooperate fully with police, while his mother, who recently arrived in TCI, has joined local and diplomatic efforts in hopes of a safe resolution.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.

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Race for the Conch Celebrates 15th Year

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Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – Grace Bay once more delighted swimmers at the 15th annual Turks & Caicos “Race for the Conch” Eco-SeaSwim on June 28, 2025. The 2.4-mile, 1 mile, and 1/2-mile events drew 75 participants from the US, Canada, Barbados, and Mexico along with 35 TCI swimmers. Another 16 youngsters under 10 years and undertook part in the 100-meter swim.

Each race saw several outstanding open water swimmers competing for conch trophies in near perfect sea conditions. Other swimmers wanted to challenge themselves while enjoying the experience of gliding through the inviting turquoise waters. As before, the start and finish took place on the beach in front of Rickie’s Flamingo Cafe.

Local swimmers once more showed they could compete with the best. Sean Walters and Asher Soderquist (just 10 years old) picked up extraordinary 2nd and 3rd places respectively in the 1/2 Mile Men’s Division. Isaac Farley secured a splendid 3rd place in the 1-mile Men’s Division, while Lex Olerenshaw grabbed a superb 3rd place in the 2.4-mile Men’s Division. Several other TCI swimmers placed among the top 5 or 10 in each event.

Orrin Meyer from the US turned in a blistering time of 51 minutes, 15 seconds to win the 2.4-mile (Ironman distance) Men’s Division, just over 10 minutes faster than 2nd place male finisher—his father, Jay Meyer. The Women’s Division swimmers in the 2.4 mile were no less impressive with Samantha Peck from the US coming in 1st with a smashing time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds. She was followed by Nathalie and Carrie Trantner.

Ari Henson won the 1-mile Men’s Division followed by Ryan Williams. while the Women’s Division was won by Julie Henson followed by Mary Mackley and Mary-Anne Savage.

In the 1/2-mile Men’s Division Garry Mahon from Barbados took 1st, while Celia Wolf took 1st in the Women’s Division followed by Stella Lord and Cara Stein.  Race organizers Ben Stubenberg and Chloe Zimmermann could not be more pleased with the wonderful turnout, especially the increasing numbers of TCI swimmers in the race. Stubenberg said, “It is so gratifying to see how the race has progressed over the years. We love welcoming the new swimmers, as well as reconnecting with the swimmers who return year after year. No venue can match Grace Bay for open water swimming.” Zimmermann added, “We are thrilled at how the race generates so much enthusiasm among participants who all push themselves to go the distance and do their personal best.”

Unsurprisingly, “The Race for the Conch” is consistently listed as one of the top 100 open water swim races in the world by the World Open Water Swimming Association.

Stubenberg and Zimmermann take seriously the second part of the event name, “Eco-SeaSwim” by asking that all swimmers use reef-safe sunscreen devoid of harmful ingredients. To help ensure that request, organizers have partnered with one of the top reef-safe sunscreens in the world, Caribbean Sol, and made it available to all swimmers on the beach.

In addition, the organizers strive to use local services and products. These include conch medals for everyone carved by Stanford Handfield, conch trophies created by Lucie Stubbs, T shirt designs by Alizee Zimmermann, T shirt printing by Wise Solutions, and Proud of My Island goodie bags created by Sammy Kildegaard and Emiliano Otin.

Stubenberg and Zimmermann praised the tremendous support of 20 volunteers on the beach and in the water. “They are the backbone of the event’s success,” they stated. “We could not do this without them or our generous sponsors and providers.” They include: Experience Turks & Caicos, Grace Bay Club, Ocean Club, Projetech, Whole Health, Atlantic Aviation, Hartling Group, Surfside Ocean Academy, Silver Palm Charters, Finishing Touch, Natural Trade Distribution, Visittci.com, Gabriel Kulcsar, Big Blue Collective, Got-U-Covered, Jafooe Computer, DJ Dayhoh, Caribbean Bottling Company, Caicu Naniki Tours, and Marco Travel.

The organizers also want to give a big shout out to the TCI Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources, TCI Marine Police, Provo Ambulance Service, TCI Red Cross, Big Blue Collective, and the TCI Regiment for their essential safety support.

The “Race for the Conch” is a registered TCI nonprofit. Proceeds from the race going to Provo Children’s Home, Red Cross, TC Reef Fund, and Project Inclusion Turks & Caicos.

The next “Race for the Conch” will take place on Saturday June 27, 2026.

More information about the race can be found on their website www.ecoseaswim.com

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Spence Security Demands Gun Reform for Officers After Third Tragic Killing

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – Spence Security & Investigation Services Ltd is calling for immediate legislative change to allow trained private security officers to carry firearms and protective gear—following the third fatal shooting of one of its officers in recent months.

In a strongly worded statement, the company’s founder and chairman said the lack of legal protections and equipment is costing lives.  “Our officers are being slaughtered because they lack the tools, the legal authority, and the support to defend themselves,” he said.   “This is no longer tolerable.”

The slain officer, like many in the industry, was unarmed and not even allowed to wear a bulletproof vest under existing laws.   “He was forced to abandon his cover without the ability to defend himself.   That cost him his life,” the statement said.

The company is urging the government and Governor’s Office to amend the law to permit properly vetted and trained security personnel—many of whom are former police or military—to be armed.   The chairman emphasized that security officers serve on the same dangerous front lines as police yet face escalating threats without the same rights or resources.

He also criticized the lack of response from national leaders.  “There’s been no acknowledgement, no empathy, no call from government officials or the governor.  Our people are dying in silence, and the silence from those in power is unacceptable.”

Beyond firearms, the firm is also calling for legal access to non-lethal tools such as handcuffs, pepper spray, and protective equipment—currently restricted by law.

Spence Security’s statement ends with a stark warning: “Security lives matter. We protect this country’s banks, businesses, and people—but we are left vulnerable.  If we do not act now, more innocent lives will be lost.”

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