Vybz Kartel has revealed that his life is in grave danger — and his friends and family fear the worst if he doesn’t get life-saving surgery.
On Wednesday (May 31), Lisa Evers of Fox 5 News spoke to the Jamaican dancehall legend’s (real name Adidja Palmer) attorney, Isat Buchanan, who revealed the terrible news.
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“Mr. Palmer’s illness is actually life-threatening,” he told the longtime New York journalist. “His neck was swollen, if you think of a shirt that is about 18.5 inches in the neck area, you couldn’t close the collar on his neck and that’s how bad it is in this moment.”
He continued: “His face is actually swollen. And one other thing. He always wears glasses; in this condition, that causes his eyes to protrude.”
The “protruding eyes,” per Buchanan’s testimony, are a symptom of Graves disease, from which Missy Elliott also suffers, and which is an autoimmune disorder triggered by an overactive thyroid, according to the National Institute of Health. It can also be fatal if left untreated.
According to Buchanan, Vybz Kartel’s “inhumane” jail conditions are only exacerbating his condition.
“Fighting for his life, yes, because it can be dangerous,” Buchanan said to Fox 5 News. “We do not want to get a phone call to say that because he was under this 23-hour lockdown, and unable to breathe, that he succumbed to his illness.”
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Vybz Kartel’s son, Adidja Jahiem Palmer, also confirmed his father’s condition to the outlet, and Evers also obtained an affidavit from the Jamaican dancehall legend’s doctor, Dr. Karen Phillips, who confirmed that her patient had been afflicted with Graves disease for nearly seven years. Dr. Phillips also recommended surgery as soon as possible.
The Jamaica Department of Prisons did not return Fox 5 News‘s request for comment.
Last week, Buchanan gave an exclusive statement to Urban Islandz, in which he claimed that his client — who is in “ill health” — was being subjected to up to 23 hours a day in solitary confinement. This claim was being used by Buchanan to argue the dancehall legend’s case before the courts.
“The concerns are two-fold. The Department of Corrections does not have adequate facilities to care for persons with ill health while incarcerated as a guest of the state,” he told the outlet. “Mr. Palmer is under private treatment at his expense. It is within the knowledge of prison officials that his health is a concern.”
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He continued: “To be placed under a 23-hour lockdown as an appellant given the state of his health is most unfortunate. His medical condition requires access to clean air. Breathing is essential to life that is common sense. It is inhumane punishment [to] execute this form of punishment on Mr. Palmer and others given the state of the prisons.”
In 2014, Vybz Kartel was found guilty of the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is currently appealing his conviction.
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