Jesse Royal’s gratitude ‘tun up’ after surviving crash

Jesse Royal is grateful for another "lease on life" following an accident which left him with a broken arm.

Fans and well-wishers flooded his Instagram page last Thursday with messages of hope and healing after he posted a video of himself from his hospital bed wearing a neck brace with his right arm visibly swollen.

Speaking with THE STAR, Jesse Royal said that he has always been a grateful individual "but di gratitude tun up a likkle bit more now".

"It's life and sometimes we get reminders to cherish the time dat yuh get to experience these lovely things here on Earth. It's also a reminder that God is always there with us suh it's just another time Him show mi seh 'Hey, you belong to Me' and there's so many other things that could've gone bad but the Almighty never allowed dat fi tek hold," he said.

The accident, which took place on the North South Highway on August 24, saw the artiste being rushed to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) by a passer-by he later described as a saving "angel". After spending a night at UHWI, he was then transferred to Medical Associates Hospital for surgery.

Jesse Royal explained that he and family members were enjoying the day in Ocho Rios, St Ann, but he later tried to get back to Kingston to shoot some content for his album when the accident occurred. Through their brief conversation to the hospital, he later found out that the good Samaritan - who goes by the name 'Dawn' - was a childhood friend of his aunt and late mom, even attending the latter's funeral in 2017.

"I definitely know that my mom sent her to come get me," he said, noting that the car flipped three times before sliding on its top. He said witnesses told him that they thought they would have to take his dead body from the vehicle.

"But I managed to get myself out. I have a broken arm and I was scraped up badly but my smile is still pretty and I can still manage looking at myself in the mirror," he joked.

His wife, Kandi King, said she was left numb after learning of the horrific incident.

"He called me as it happened to tell me; he crawled out and called me," she said. "When I first heard, my heart dropped. It's the kind of call you never want to get. I was scared out of my mind but at the same time, [I was] so, so thankful he was alive. Now, after the surgery and seeing him in recovery, my feelings have shifted into gratitude. He has a new lease on life, and we're both holding onto that perspective every day," King told THE STAR.

Jesse Royal said that now, with every chance he gets, he reminds King of how much she's loved. King admitted that she too has been loving on her husband even more.

"Moments like these really put everything into perspective. You realise how fragile life is and how important it is to say how you feel in the moment. So yes, I've been more intentional about showing love...and not just to him but to the people closest to me. It's a reminder to appreciate every single day and not wait for tomorrow to express love and gratitude," King shared.

Jesse Royal blamed fatigue for the accident, as he said he's been working overtime.

"Even though I buckled in and was driving safely, I think I dosed off for a minute and the first surgeon that saw me said 'Jesse you would have died if you didn't have on your seatbelt', and that literally brought tears to my eyes," he recalled. He warned everyone to travel safe and "buckle up", and warned his colleagues to "pay a little more attention to health".

"As artistes, producers and musicians we're so deep in our craft and our industry and we're always tryna get the next song or project done, but sometimes wi affi tek it easy and I think that's one addi lessons I learnt," he said. Jesse Royal was speaking to the news team on set for a rehearsal for the Barbados Carifesta XV Reggae Super Concert.

"It was impossible for me to turn down this opportunity and act like I was defeated - I was hurt but not defeated; and I can't mek di devil win," he underscored. However, in taking his own advice, he said he has postponed his next two upcoming shows.