Former Miss Jamaica dies of sickle cell complications

(Jamaica Gleaner) Former Miss Jamaica Universe, Shakira Martin, 30, died in a Florida hospital yesterday from complication with the sickle cell disease.

Shakira Martin
Shakira Martin

She spent her last few hours unconscious on a life support machine as family and close friends surrounded her to say goodbye.

“My darling princess Shakira Aminah passed away at 12.28am from complications from sickle cell blood clots to both lungs,” her mother Andrea Hall posted on the social media site, Facebook.

“Shakira was a fighter, lived her life in the moment, never became a slave to her disease. I will [keep] you posted with all the arrangements which will be both in Florida and Jamaica her favourite place in the whole world. Thanks for your support, prayers, phone calls, texts,” she said.

Earlier, Hall had alerted the world to the imminent death of her daughter the 2011 Miss Jamaica.