JavaScript is disabled in your web browser or browser is too old to support JavaScript. Today almost all web pages contain JavaScript, a scripting programming language that runs on visitor's web browser. It makes web pages functional for specific purposes and if disabled for some reason, the content or the functionality of the web page can be limited or unavailable.

Monday, July 7, 2025

Tearful send-off for Jace

by

696 days ago
20230811
Grieving mother Shantal Paul weeps for her son, Jace Paul, during the funeral service at the First Church of the Open Bible in San Fernando yesterday.

Grieving mother Shantal Paul weeps for her son, Jace Paul, during the funeral service at the First Church of the Open Bible in San Fernando yesterday.

RISHI RAGOONATH

RAD­HI­CA DE SIL­VA

Se­nior Mul­ti­me­dia Re­porter

rad­hi­ca.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Amidst grief and dis­be­lief, a San Fer­nan­do fam­i­ly grap­pled with the words of nine-year-old Jace Paul who, be­fore his death, told his aunt he got a vis­it from four an­gels.

Dur­ing an emo­tion­al fu­ner­al ser­vice at the First Open Bible Church, in San Fer­nan­do, Jace’s un­cle, Dex­ter Au­gus­tus, paint­ed a vivid and ten­der por­trait of a child who was the heart­beat of his fam­i­ly.

Through the heartache, mourn­ers re­mem­bered Jace as a lov­ing ser­vant of God who be­lieved in an­gels.

The child’s body was en­cased in a blue-and-white cas­ket with a foot­ball bal­loon strapped to the front.

Jace died last week Wednes­day af­ter vom­it­ing blood. He had been ward­ed at the San Fer­nan­do Gen­er­al Hos­pi­tal but died three hours af­ter be­ing dis­charged.

A post-mortem re­vealed a se­ries of health com­pli­ca­tions lead­ing to his death, in­clud­ing as­pi­ra­tion pneu­moni­tis, fo­cal gas­tri­tis with up­per gas­troin­testi­nal haem­or­rhage, bi­lat­er­al pneu­mo­nia, and a back­drop of un­con­trolled type one di­a­betes mel­li­tus.

As the cas­ket was brought in­to the church, every­one was in tears.

Dur­ing the eu­lo­gy, Au­gus­tus re­mem­bered his nephew’s in­fec­tious laugh­ter, his soft voice that spoke love un­abashed­ly, and an un­wa­ver­ing bond with his moth­er, Shan­tal Paul.

Say­ing Jace’s pres­ence was likened to a ray of sun­light, Au­gus­tus said: “He was a reser­voir of love and in­no­cence. Every time he made a mis­take and you’d rep­ri­mand him, he’d low­er his head, eyes full of re­morse, and promise not to do it again, but of course, it was a promise he nev­er kept.”

He said al­though Jace couldn’t tru­ly sing or dance, he nev­er let that de­ter him as he ran his own YouTube chan­nel.

“He would al­ways be singing and prac­tis­ing his dance moves,” the dis­traught un­cle said.

He not­ed that week­ends and month-ends held a spe­cial place in Jace’s heart.

“He was al­ways ready for road trips with his granny, im­pec­ca­bly dressed in a hat and light-up shoes,” the un­cle re­called.

Au­gus­tus said Jace would call his granny, cheek­i­ly ask­ing if she had re­ceived her pay, and would take charge of the mu­sic dur­ing their road trip ad­ven­tures.

“He loved to eat steamed veg­eta­bles, cowheel soup, and he loved go­ing to restau­rants. His love for shiny Hot­wheel cars was un­matched,” Au­gus­tus re­called.

Jace was laid to rest at the Roodal ceme­tery. The South West Re­gion­al Health Au­thor­i­ty has since launched an in­ves­ti­ga­tion in­to the death, ex­tend­ing con­do­lences to the be­reaved fam­i­ly.


Related articles

Sponsored

Weather

PORT OF SPAIN WEATHER

Sponsored

Today's
Guardian

Publications

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

The Executive of the National Parang Association 2025-27. Back row, from left: Kervin Preudhomme, assistant secretary; Shaquille Headley, committee member; Cheriese Pierre, committee member; Lisa Lee, trustee; Joanne Briggs, PRO; Yarelis Touissant, committee member; William Calliste, trustee. Front row, from left: Jenais Carter, secretary; Alicia Jaggasar, president; Henrietta Carter, vice president; Joseph Bertrand, youth officer. Missing: Kerrylee Chee Chow, treasurer; Chevone Pierre, committee member.

Jaggasar returns as National Parang president

Yesterday
Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Charles Town junior drummers and dancers take to the stage

Jamaican Maroons celebrate, question land rights

Yesterday
Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford

Sherron Harford’s holistic mission

to transform the lives of girls

Yesterday
Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Despite finding out just three days earlier—on December 23—that I had breast cancer, I still got dressed and showed up on December 26, Boxing Day, for a birthday party. I didn’t go to escape the truth. I went to remind myself I was still here, still living, still me.

Nicole Drayton’s breast cancer journey–Fear, faith, and fighting back

Yesterday