Mother’s worst feeling comes true - Young entrepreneur dies from asthma attack

From an early age, Dhanieka Williams aspired to be her own boss, and, as such, she strived academically.

Having copped 10 subjects at Westwood High School in Trelawny, she went to St Georges' College in Kingston where she completed sixth form. As she awaited her CAPE results, the 19-year-old and a friend opened a bar inside Princeville Plaza in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew. Next year, Williams planned to embark on the tertiary leg of her education journey. But the young adult will never live to see her full potential, as she passed away on August 17 from an aggressive asthma attack.

Sitting in her yard in Glengoffe, St Catherine, Williams' mom, Arlene White, remembered her as a pleasant and friendly individual.

"My daughter loved to smile and she was a people person. She was full of life and very approachable. She like to help others and sometimes even at midnight she would be on the phone helping others with their schoolwork. She was very outgoing and friendly," White said. Williams had reportedly gone on an outing with her friends to Reach Falls in Portland.

"She came out of the water and changed. One of her cousins noticed how quiet she had become and asked her what was wrong and she told her that her chest felt tight. Her cousin gave her an inhaler and she took a few puffs," she said. A few minutes later, Williams put on a sweater and went inside the bus while the others changed. But her chest tightened further. Her friends tried to assist and even took her outside so she could get fresh air.

"But Dhanieka and asthma nuh work well together. She will panic and she doesn't always learn to relax when she is running out of breath. When what those around were doing didn't work, they placed her in the bus and rushed her to Port Antonio Hospital. That was about an hour and a half away. Persons were also trying to google other nearby doctor places but none was open," White said. She said she was told by a nurse that upon reaching the hospital, Williams was already unresponsive. She said a medical team worked assiduously to resuscitate her but she was pronounced dead shortly after 8 p.m.

White said that about two weeks before her daughter died, she had a gut feeling that something terrible was about to happen and even posted about it on her WhatsApp status. She said although she prayed earnestly, thoughts of death lingered in her mind, but she never dreamt that she would be making funeral preparations. She said that when her younger daughter got a call that Williams was dead, she told her to turn off her phone as she thought someone was playing a cruel prank on the family. However, shortly after, White received another call from her son who told her that Williams had been rushed to the hospital. She had a feeling that her daughter was gone.

"I just knew it. I felt it and I told my son that as soon as the body ready, they would call me and my son said I shouldn't say that and he hang up. I knew my daughter was dead. I am going to miss her smile. She had the most amazing smile and when I went to the hospital on the Monday, she looked so peaceful laying down," she said. White said that Williams' death was untimely, but it was her time.

"She is in God's hand and she is at peace. I really miss her but I have found peace with her death as she is with the Almighty. I have had 19 great and memorable years with my daughter. It was just her time," White added.