FALMOUTH, Trelawny – Eighteen children with special needs in and around Bounty Hall, Trelawny, can now look forward to continued support from the charity Global Hands. Operated by Carleen Coates-Russell, who is originally from the area but now lives and works in the United States, the charity expanded the eighth staging of its annual community fair to include the 18 children, after area residents made the request.

“[One] family has been reaching out,” Coates-Russell told the Jamaica Observer, adding that once the first family received help, other requests quickly followed.

During the most recent community fair, held at Bounty Hall Primary School last Saturday, the 18 children received specialised supplies including diapers and pull-ups for those with incontinence; bedding; skin-care creams to prevent breakdown; and adaptive toys for non-verbal, blind, or hearing-impaired children. Russell said there are plans for follow-up care, including psychiatric services for families.