The Wadadli Initiative for Self-care and Healing (WISH) has expressed profound sadness over the death of 19-year-old Zowie Tomlinson of Parham, whose body was recovered from the waters at Devil’s Bridge on Sunday morning following an overnight search operation.
Police and members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard recovered the teenager’s body after an extensive search that began late Saturday night.
In a statement issued on Sunday, WISH extended its deepest condolences to Tomlinson’s family, friends, and the wider Parham community, describing her death as a national tragedy.
“We are devastated,” said WISH Founder Chaneil Imhoff. “Zowie was somebody’s daughter, somebody’s friend, somebody’s neighbour. Nineteen years is no age to feel that there is no way forward. We grieve with her family today, and we grieve as a country that has not yet done enough to ensure that our young people can access mental health support when they need it most.”
The organisation urged members of the public to show care and compassion in discussing the tragedy, particularly on social media. WISH cautioned against speculation surrounding the circumstances of Tomlinson’s death, the sharing of graphic content, and commentary that reduces her life to the manner of her passing.
According to WISH, such actions can inflict further pain on grieving loved ones and negatively impact others who may be struggling with their own mental health challenges in silence.
The organisation also echoed the Police Administration’s appeal for the family’s privacy to be respected as investigations continue.
Addressing those who may be experiencing emotional pain, WISH issued a message of hope, reminding individuals that they are not alone and encouraging them to seek support.
WISH reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for sustainable, accessible, and culturally grounded mental health services in Antigua and Barbuda, stating that the death of a 19-year-old should serve as a call to action for the nation to strengthen mental health support systems for its young people.
Why has the country waited until now to take action? Mental health resources should have already been in place to help prevent tragedies like this. It should never take the loss of a young life for the seriousness of this issue to be fully acknowledged. Mental health and depression are real, and they deserve to be treated as such, especially in the Caribbean, where these struggles are too often dismissed, ignored, or misunderstood.
Too often, when teenagers speak up about feeling depressed or overwhelmed, they are met with dismissive comments like, ‘You don’t have any bills to pay,’ ‘You have a roof over your head,’ or ‘You don’t have any real problems yet.’ But pain is not something that should be measured or compared. Just because a young person’s struggles may look different from an adult’s does not make them any less real or valid. Depression does not discriminate by age.
If we start listening to our youth instead of dismissing them, take mental health seriously, and create proper support systems, we could see real growth, healing, and hope. More importantly, we could help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. My heart goes out to her family, friends, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss.