‘Nothing can describe the pain’
Mother of young medical intern speaks heartened that he was loved by all
“Goodnight, I will see you later in the week” were the last words grieving mother Doreen Murray will forever remember from her son, promising medical intern Dr Yakeev Morris.
Morris, 26, the youngest of five children and the pride of Charles Town, a hilly deep rural community in St Mary, died suddenly on August 12 while on duty at the Annotto Bay Hospital where he had been assigned as an intern since early July.
“I am still in shock. Never once had the slightest idea or any indication that anything like this could happen. I mean he took a physical before being assigned and appeared very healthy,” Murray said tearfully. “It was Monday night on August 10 when he told me his last goodbye before heading off to his grandmother’s house in Charles Town where he had been staying. I didn’t know that would be the last time I would hear his voice.”
Morris’ death has not only plunged the island’s medical fraternity into mourning, but has brought out an outpouring of condolences from health officials, including Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton. The Jamaica Medical Students’ Association (JAMSA), through its Twitter account, also expressed condolences.
TAKING COMFORT
“He served the JAMSA Council as special project coordinator in 201718. Rest well Yakeev. Condolences to his family,” the tweet said.
For Murray though, “nothing can describe the pain of the grieving heart of a mother”, adding that she has been taking comfort from the support of family, friends, the Charles Town community and “all the staff at the Annotto Bay Hospital and also the North East Regional Health Authority (NEHRA) whose regional director has reached out to us with an offer to provide counselling”. “While we are still in shock, we have been overwhelmed and enlightened by all the love and support that have been coming in for ‘Bop-Bop’ (Morris’ childhood pet name),” she said. “Even though he just started his internship at the hospital nearly a month ago, he was well liked by the staff, including his colleague doctors, and has been nothing but a source of pride for me.” Murray said that her son, a past student of Ardenne High School in St Andrew, always knew that he wanted to be a doctor and “spoke about nothing else” while growing up.
She said he liked playing football and basketball, and always took pleasure in provoking her “just for fun”.
“I was always an admirer of Ardenne and made it Bop-Bop’s school of choice,” she said. “I sent him off to be boarded in Kingston, three different boarding houses throughout his stay. He never disappointed, was always a straight A student. I had no problem with him.”
She said that Morris had a special love for children and that it was only fitting that he was assigned to the children’s ward at the hospital which he enjoyed thoroughly.
“It’s also strange that he died doing what he did best, helping children,” she said. “According to the reports we have had from the Annotto Bay Hospital, my son died just prior to accompanying a child who was waiting to be transferred to the Bustamante Hospital,” she said.