Dublin woman’s plea to help hurricane-hit Jamaica as she warns of ‘catastrophe’

Ottoline Spearman

A Dublin woman has launched a fundraising campaign to help Jamaica recover from Hurricane Melissa.

Orlagh Kilbride, 45, from Dublin, has lived with her husband Neil O’Hanlon and their sons Max, 16, and Blake, 12, in Jamaica for nearly a decade.

The family, based in Kingston, described themselves as “counting their blessings” after their home escaped major damage during Hurricane Melissa, though they remain deeply concerned for those who “lost almost everything.”

The fundraiser aims to help communities in the south and northwest of Jamaica that have been devastated by the storm, where homes were flattened and tens of thousands left without power.

Funds will be distributed among local charities, including the Jamaican Red Cross, Food for the Poor, and The Breds Foundation, to provide food, clean water and essential supplies for rebuilding.

So far, the appeal has raised over €390 of its €7,500 target.

You can read the campaign and donate here.