THE EDITOR, Sir:
ONE OF the most heart-wrenching stories that occurred recently has to do with the death last week Friday of 12-year-old Shantel Sicheran. It is reported that she was mourning the death of her much-loved father who died a month ago from injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle accident.
It is reported that she cried continuously since his death, and that she also refused food. The medical report stated that she died of a stroke. Now I am no expert on medicine or the like, but I believe that little Shantel died of a broken heart.
TRAUMATIC BREAK-UP
A traumatic break-up, the death of a loved one or even the shock of a surprise party can unleash a flood of stress hormones that can stun the heart, causing sudden, life-threatening heart spasms in otherwise healthy people, researchers reported recently. The phenomenon can trigger what seems like a classic heart attack and can put victims at risk for potentially severe complications and even death. By giving proper medical care, however, doctors can mend the physical aspect of a 'broken heart' and avoid long-term damage.
I believe that if she had got some form of grief counselling, she may have been able to overcome the sudden and traumatic loss of her father. It is imperative that adults try and understand that a child handles stress with more difficulty than older folks. We ought to be able to administer some form of counselling to a child whenever tragic circumstances occur.
Little Shantel may have suffered a stroke because she had high blood pressure as a result of the enormous stress that she was going through. In the final analysis, the medical report may show the cause of death to be a stroke. She really died from a broken heart.
I am, etc.,
NEVILLE BECKFORD
beckkid@hotmail.com
Spanish Town
