Hi, my name is Ruth-Ann Lunan. I’m a mom in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica raising my daughter, Rayanna Whitter.  She is 4 years and 7 months old, autistic, and non-verbal.

Rayanna cannot communicate yet. After waiting over 2 years, we finally got her speech assessment. The therapist recommended 2 hours of therapy every week for at least 1 year because this age is so critical for her development.

 The cost is $9,000 JMD per hour. That’s $18,000 a week, and $936,000 for the full year.

I’ve tried every avenue for help here in Jamaica:

1. I was told by the PATH program to “go find a rich man.”

2. On Friday, July 31st I went to the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disability – JCPD, where Rayanna is a registered member. I asked about deadlines and was told I had a few days and could come back next week. All social media posts at the time said the deadline was September 2026.

3. I went back three days later and found out applications had closed on August 3rd. Which would have been the next business day after I was there. The new cut-off date was only published after the deadline passed. No one told me when I asked.

As her full-time caregiver, I can’t work enough to cover this. I’ve already paid for her assessment because I refuse to wait any longer.

Any donation will go directly to Rayanna’s therapy sessions. I will post receipts and updates so you can see her progress.

 Please help me give my daughter a voice. Thank you for reading and for any support.

With love,

Ruth-Ann.

Goal: $940,000 JMD

Location: Spanish Town, Saint Catherine, Jamaica