Janay Moguel’s first day at school since shooting incident

It’s been eight months since Janay Moguel was hit by stray bullets as she crossed the Central American Boulevard in the company of her grandfather, Steven Rhamdas.  Since then she’s been receiving treatment locally and abroad, but young Janay was back at school today for the first time since the tragic shooting. Her teachers and peers greeted her with excitement; she will lean on them for assistance to carry out her daily routines at Grace Primary. News Five’s Isani Cayetano report.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The reunion of seven year old Janay Moguel with her friends this morning was a bittersweet experience for this standard two class at Grace Primary School.  As much as they were all excited to see her they are still coming to terms with the fact that things are now considerably different.  For her the story of the past eight months has been nothing short of triumph in the face of adversity.  Like eight year old Marquise Mahler, this little girl was also collateral damage in Belize City’s ongoing street wars.  Despite being confined to a wheelchair since that shooting incident in February Janay has eagerly anticipated her return to the classroom.

Isani Cayetano

“How do you feel about coming back to school today after being away so long?”

Janay Moguel, Grace Primary Student

janay moguel

“I’m feeling very good.’

Isani Cayetano

“Did you get a chance to see some of your friends?  Have you spoken to them since you got back?”

Janay Moguel

“Yeah I’ve spoken to them.”

Isani Cayetano

“What are you looking forward to today since it’s your first day of school?”

Janay Moguel

“Looking [forward to do] my work and playing with my friends.”

Janay, who was once physically active, will no longer be able to enjoy frolicking around the schoolyard with her friends during recess.  Instead she will now have to rely on their kindheartedness in helping her to get around during the day.

Meagan Samuels, Classmate

“I will help her, I will help her do things for break and buy things for her if she can’t go outside.”

While students have been mentally prepared for Janay’s reintegration into the classroom, school principal, Myrna Sheppard and her staff have made major adjustments to accommodate her disability.

Myrna Sheppard, Classmate

“We knew that we had to shift around some classes so that was one of the first things that we did because we wanted her to have easy access to her classroom so that’s why her classroom is in that, over there where she is at and instead of upstairs where we usually use to have standard two.  Then we knew we had to build some ramps so I’m sure you have seen those and this little room right here is a room where she can rest because being in the wheelchair all day she gets uncomfortable, she needs to rest so we built the room and the parents will be putting in a bed and so on for her.”

Her homeroom teacher is making sure that things run smoothly in the classroom even with the situation being new to her.

Stephanie Singh, Homeroom Teacher

stephanie singh

“It’s the first time I’m teaching a child with a disability such as Janay’s but we’re opened, ready and I’ve prepared the children well and they were excited for her to be back.”

Janay’s mother, Rose, says the school’s administration has gone out of its way to make the transition easier for her daughter, however, getting her to school will be somewhat of a headache.

rose moguel

Rose Moguel, Mother

“I had to break down the wheelchair, bring it down, set it up in the, put it in the car.  When I got here I had to set it up again, make sure the axel was in and all that and then I had to wheel her in.  I noticed that on the sidewalks I had a bit of difficulty because there’s no ramp out there so of course we’ll have to probably put a ramp out there so it’s easier from off the street because you know this street is a bit narrow and the sidewalk as well is a bit narrow so it was kinda hard.”

That problem also highlights the fact that there aren’t many buildings in the country that meet the needs of people with disabilities.  Inside the classroom it was business as usual as students bowed their heads to recite their morning prayers.  Meagan’s prayer to see Janay alive and well and back in class has been answered.

Meagan Samuels

“I missed her a lot when she got shot and I really, really want her to come so I missed her.”

The shooting incident that has left Janay Moguel paralyzed has forced her and her loved ones to reshape their lives.  She is still in the process of recovering from the ordeal and from the reception she got this morning her friends at Grace Primary are more than willing to accept her back just the way she is. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

The shooting claimed the life of Darrell Williams, who would have turned twenty on Wednesday. Phillip Wallace and a minor were charged for that homicide.