Sophia Laing, wife of Cleveland “Lt Stitchie” Laing, said on October 24, 2024, “It’s tougher than steel right now” about the financial requirements of the reggae-turned-gospel artist, who is currently in a rehabilitation center after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage that had previously rendered him unconscious.
Laing stated, providing an update on the sickly gospel leader, “It is indeed hard. Hard is not even the adjective right now … This is really hard for us right now … Despite what we are going through, I’m still giving thanks, because one of the songs that Stitchie sings, and persons love that song, “Lord, I Thank You For Today” and regardless of what we are going through, we give thanks … and for this to happen to such a stalwart and energetic individual, and to see where he’s at, it’s really heart-rending.”
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“He is more alert than he has ever been. We give God thanks for that. No words, no nothing verbal, but he’s moving his lips as if he wants to respond. It’s no words, but we give God thanks,” she noted.
His wife mentioned the high cost of medical care while discussing the family’s need to raise money. “When sickness comes, you’d be surprised to see how quickly it wipes out whatever you have,” she remarked.
She was speaking at the Sterling Gospel Music Awards, where $150,000 was given out. The money was collected via contributions at the awards ceremony in October.
The Sterling Gospel Music Awards received donations from attendees totaling over $100,000, which the event’s organizers matched up to half of.
Laing has set up a GoFundMe for Lt. Stitchie, which has received US$22,530 of its target of US$100,000. The singer who turned 59 on September 29 received a US$10,000 ($1.5 million) donation to the cause earlier this month from fellow entertainer Rodney “Bounty Killer” Pryce’s Bounty Foundation.
Laing also acknowledged all of the other donors, including reggae legend Burning Spear, DJ Nicholas, pastor Ryan Mark from Pure in Heart Ministries, gospel veteran Goddy Goddy, and Perry’s Funeral Home.
She noted that despite all the risks involved with the operation that Lt. Stitchie had on August 15, God had already begun the healing process with him.
“Thank you, Lord,” Laing murmured, beaming as she saw Lt. Stitchie emerging from the operating room. That counts as one win.
“When you engage him in a conversation, you see him moving the lips as if he wants to respond,” she stated.
“We give God thanks he’s able to move his hands. He’s recognizing voices, and he’s just there now waiting, and we just ask God to just give us the patience, the grace to be patient, and to wait for what He is doing in Stitchie’s life, because we are all people of faith and we believe one of these days when I walk into that room, I’m going to see him sitting up in the bed and saying, ‘Whappen Sophie?’ and I am looking forward to that. God acts upon the desires of our hearts, and I believe that whatever God is doing, He’s going well, and it is well because whatever He does, it’s quite well done,” she stated.
According to Laing, she is also appreciative that Lieutenant Stitchie is wide awake and does not require a breathing tube.
She thanked the Christian fraternity for its invaluable assistance.
“The Christian fraternity is really contributing. I need to let that be known out there. The Christian community, not just monetary, but [through] prayers, and that’s what we need for Cleveland Laing right now … I thank everyone for reaching out and allowing God to speak to your heart to do what you did. I thank you very much,” she stated.
The creator and director of The Sterling Gospel Music Awards, Basillia Barnaby-Cuff, said she could not comprehend Laing’s suffering as a wife after presenting the $150,000 check.
Before giving the check, Barnaby-Cuff remarked, “We are here with you. We are here for you, and as much as we can do to support [you], we will continue to support you. I can’t imagine what the family must be going through, and it is incumbent on us as Christians, as humans, to be there for each other because it could happen to any of us.”
Lieutenant Stitchie first gained popularity as a sound system artist in his hometown of St. Catherine, Spain, before becoming well-known in the middle of the 1980s thanks to the comedy hit song Wear Yuh Size. Other songs like Big Broad Hips and Natty Dread came after that.
In 1997, Stitchie converted to Christianity and went on to record many gospel records after completing three albums for Atlantic Records.
