For nearly 15 years, Claudette Grant has navigated an unrelenting series of hardships, all while clinging to her faith to hold her family together. The Jamaican mother has dedicated every waking moment to caring for her teenage daughter Hannahlisa Hall, who lives with a severe case of sickle cell disease that has left her with ongoing health complications and a need for constant, round-the-clock care. What makes Grant’s fight even more staggering is that she faces her own undiagnosed health complications and crippling unpaid medical debt that has left the family in dire financial straits – yet she says she still gives thanks every day that her daughter is still alive.
Hannahlisa’s battle with illness began moments after she was born, when doctors diagnosed her with full-blown sickle cell disease, a chronic genetic blood disorder that causes intense pain, organ damage, and heightened risk of stroke and infection. By the time she was just nine years old, in 2017, she had already suffered four separate strokes, a devastating turn that left her with long-term neurological impacts. Her story first gained public attention in a 2021 feature published by the *Jamaica Observer*, which highlighted her family’s struggle to access affordable, consistent care. Years later, the teen is now approaching her 15th birthday on June 16, but her health challenges have not eased.
Grant explains that Hannahlisa continues to experience frequent, debilitating seizures that disrupt her daily life. While doctors have prescribed anti-seizure medication, Grant says the treatment has done little to reduce the frequency or intensity of these episodes. From early childhood, Hannahlisa has been a regular inpatient at local hospitals, often requiring admission two to three times a month to manage sickle cell complications. Each hospital stay adds another layer of stress, Grant says, because the resulting medical bills far outpace the family’s limited income. With no way to cover the escalating costs, unpaid debt has piled up, and hospital administrators contact Grant regularly to demand payment.
The most recent large bill came after a three-week admission to the University Hospital of the West Indies this past December, which totaled JMD $326,000 – a sum Grant has been completely unable to pay. Most recently, Hannahlisa was admitted again after developing a fever and shortness of breath on a school morning; doctors opted to keep her for observation given her complex medical history, adding even more to the family’s outstanding balance.
To be available for every emergency and daily care need, Grant had to give up her job entirely, eliminating the family’s only steady source of income. That sacrifice has only worsened their financial insecurity, but Grant says she has no other choice – Hannahlisa cannot be left alone for any extended period of time. Compounding this already overwhelming situation is Grant’s own declining health. She recently experienced a dangerous fainting spell that landed her in the hospital, testing that revealed a cyst on her left abdomen, and persistent high blood pressure that leaves her exhausted and unwell most days.
Despite being in need of ongoing medical care herself, Grant puts her daughter’s needs first, juggling multiple hospital appointments while struggling to keep up with costs. “Hannahlisa depends on me for help, and I don’t feel good within myself. I have to take her to hospital and I also have to go to hospital. It is even worse now to know that financially and in every aspect I need help,” Grant told the *Observer*. Even amid these overwhelming challenges, Grant says her faith has kept her family grounded. “A God a keep the family together. We pray and God keeps the family together,” she said, emphasizing that she is grateful her daughter has lived to see her 15th year, an outcome many would not have expected given the severity of her illness.
The family is now reaching out to the public for any assistance to cover mounting medical costs and basic living expenses. Community members or other donors wishing to support Claudette Grant and Hannahlisa Hall can contact Grant directly at (876) 589-1468.