In a Facebook live yesterday Jael Joseph , Dominican media entrepreneur, described an incident where a 14 year old girl called her via Facebook messenger and claimed she wanted to end her life and wanted Jael to be the one to relay the news to her mother.
The 14 year old told Jael she called her via Facebook messenger because her mother was a big fan of Jael’s.
Unable to hold back the tears at points while recounting the incident she asked that the young girl contact her as the teenager refused to give Jael her name during the online encounter.
In the live video Jael said she pleaded with the young woman to seek help, told her she loved her and offered to put her in contact with a psychiatrist friend who could provide the care the young girl needed.
Some details are unavailable and Jael has chosen not to share some information in an attempt to protect the 14 year old.
However, what was made clear by Jael, was that there was no number as the call was made via Facebook messenger.
As of publishing of this article Jael has not heard from the young woman.
Jael admitted to DNO that she has been unable to sleep since her conversation with the young lady as the experience has affected her very deeply.
She also shared in her video and with DNO that she feels even more strongly due to the connection she has with her own young son who is also 14 years old.
Apart from her public appeal Jael continues to make personal and private efforts to contact the teenager and emphasized that this is not an attempt to seek publicity, she would even prefer not to be involved but also wants to ensure that she hears that the young woman is safe.
While she normally does not respond to Facebook messages, Jael has temporarily opened up her social media to monitor for news about the young woman.
She has been inundated with messages and calls since her post.
While grateful for the efforts she asks that people show some consideration and support for the situation and focus on information that would be helpful.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health we urge you to seek appropriate care.
Below is a directory of mental health resources available to all in Dominica which is also child friendly: https://www.healthycaribbean.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Dominica-Directory.pdf
