Posted: 02/28/07

Recent graduate and Rhodes scholar inexplicably paralyzed
Jamila Headley, class of 2006, injured while surfing

Mike Morris | managing editor
mmorris2@smcvt.edu

Recent St. Michael’s College graduate and Rhodes scholarship recipient Jamila Headley fell victim to a sudden paralysis Feb. 27 as she was taking a surfing lesson in her home country of Barbados.

Jamila Headley was suddenly paralyzed as she took a surfing lesson on Feb. 27. (Photo courtesy Leah Jeffries)

Currently, Headley is a patient at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the capital city of Bridgetown, where she is undergoing tests to determine what may have caused her to lose feeling in her lower body, though the Echo has learned that X-rays and a CT scan have ruled out a broken back as the cause.

“I was pretty shocked by it,” Headley’s younger sister, Joy-Anne Headley, a first-year student at
St. Michael’s says. “Not knowing what caused the accident was scary. Waiting for information was stressful.”

During her surfing lesson, Jamila Headley tried to stand up on her surf board multiple times but was unable to, according to her sister. It was then that she was taken to the hospital, where doctors were unable to identify the problem, though they discovered her paralysis below the waist.

“We don’t know what caused it, what triggered it,” Joy-Anne Headley said at a meeting of students, faculty and staff. “It was pretty random.”

Mosie St. Louis, director of multicultural student affairs, moderator of the meeting said “[This] really is a big concern because it has been over 24 hours that she has not had any function of her lower extremities.” St. Louis added that Headley had gone through an MRI and CT Scan but that they did not yet have the results of those tests.

Additional information will be released by St. Louis in the coming days as he and the Headley family discuss the issue and what to release to the public.

Political science professor Trish Siplon, who often worked with Jamila Headley on HIV/AIDS projects, received a phone call from Headley early on the morning of Feb. 28, says her husband, Todd Watkins.

“She called to let us know what had happened and how she was doing,” he says. Headley told Siplon and Watkins that her X-ray and CT scan had ruled out a broken back as the cause of her paralysis, he says.

Traci Griffith, professor of journalism and mass communication, says she is close friends with the Headley family. Griffith, who is from Barbados and still visits there, says when she is in the country she is often a dinner guest at the Headley home.

Griffith says she is concerned about the level of care available to Headley in Barbados.

“Although Barbados is one of the most developed [countries] in the region, it is still a long way from what we would consider a good standard of care,” she says. “It’s just not the same. You can’t compare a little dot to the United States. [ Barbados is] limited by facilities.”

Watkins says he and Siplon were told by Headley that after she discovered she could not feel her legs, it was still a couple of hours before she was seen by doctors.

A meeting was held the evening of Feb 28. to share information about the accident and discuss ways to raise money for Jamila Headley, who does not have medical insurance. About 50 students, faculty and staff with ties to Headley were in attendance.

“The beauty of our community is that we are very connected to our friends and to each other,” St. Louis said. “One of the things we have decided to do is to try and fundraise [for her].”

“Know that [your presence] means a lot to Jamila and our entire family,” Joy-Anne said at the meeting.

“When I heard the news I just sat and cried,” says Griffith. “She is a brilliant woman and a warm girl. I just thought ‘Why?’"

If you are able, or inclined to help Jamila's family with medical expenses, you may write a check payable to Jamila Headley and forward it to:

The Jamila Headley Fund
c/o Edmundite Campus Ministry
Saint Michael's College
Box 272
Colchester, VT 05439

Amanda Gallagher and Izabela Socha contributed reporting to this article