| Keesha Ward | |||||||||||||
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| Senati Ashenafi as Keesha Ward | |||||||||||||
| General Hospital | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Senait Ashenafi (June 10, 1994 to 1998) | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | June 10, 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 1998 | ||||||||||||
| Cause/reason | Left town | ||||||||||||
| Created by | Claire Labine | ||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||||||
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) | ||||||||||||
| Occupation | GH in the Social Work Department | ||||||||||||
| Residence | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||||||||||||
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Keesha Ward is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She is the daughter of David Ward & granddaughter of Mary Mae Ward, the former lover of Edward Quartermaine. The role was originated by Ethiopian born actress, Senait Ashenafi in June 1994. Ashenafati vacated the role in 1998 when the character left town to take care of her ailing father.
Character History[]
After her uncle Bradley Ward was found dead in Luke and Laura Spencer's yard, Keesha came to town with her cousin Justus and their grandmother Mary Mae. Bradley had been murdered, but who killed him? Keesha began dating the young, rich Jason Quartermaine. Mary Mae and Edward Quartermaine, both grandparents of the teens, weren't happy about the two dating each other. Soon all evidence of Bradley's death was pointing to Edward as the murderer. Edward was arrested and charged. He swore on his life to Mary Mae that he was not her son's killer. Mary Mae knew it and revealed during her testimony that Bradley was Edward's son. Edward had wartime romance with Mary Mae when she was a blue singer years ago which resulted in the conception of Bradley. Edward was later acquitted.
Keesha and Jason had gone to Paris together over spring break. Keesha revealed that she was a virgin and Jason confessed that he was also. The two then made love.
During a car accident Jason was badly injured and was in a coma. AJ, who had been driving drunk with his brother in the car, had not been injured at all. Ned, who had found an unconscious Jason and a drunken AJ, took the blame and said he was the one behind the wheel to spare Monica and Alan from anymore pain. This made AJ feel even more guilty. When Jason woke up from his coma he was no longer the kind young man he had been before; now he was a very angry person who didn't remember anyone or anything from his past. Alan and Monica tried everything to get back the Jason that loved them, but the more they pushed the farther Jason went from remembering them. Soon he would want nothing to do with them or Keesha. He started working for mobster Sonny Corinthos and Keesha's world was crushed. She suffered further devastation when Mary Mae died in January 1996. That same year, AJ began to clean up his act and assumed his cousin Justus's seat as City Councilman. Keesha started to notice and the two began a romantic relationship.
After AJ confessed to his family that he was responsible for the accident that caused Jason's memory loss and subsequent personality change, he went to Luke's and got drunk with nurse Carly Roberts. The two went up to Jason's upstairs apartment and jumped into bed together. Keesha rejected AJ for his part in Jason's accident, and AJ didn't remember being with Carly. But Carly was pleased that AJ didn't remember because she had become pregnant and feared the AJ could be the father.
After his blackout AJ was very disappointed with himself. He decided not to drink anymore and try to get back to where he was happy with Keesha. But Carly, still fearing AJ might remember their one-night stand, drugged him and left him in an alley. She hoped that AJ would think he had yet again gone after the bottle. AJ nearly left Port Charles for rehab, but Keesha helped him remember the night that he and Carly shared together. AJ realized that he may be the father of Carly's baby. Carly tried her hardest to convince AJ that he wasn't the father of her baby. AJ soon decided to forget about Carly but informed her that he would have a paternity test done when the baby was born. But Carly managed to prove that AJ was not the father of her son. Keesha supported AJ all the way and the two were in love with each other more than ever. But his alcoholism eventually drove a wedge between them too big to fix and they broke up.
Keesha left Port Charles, and AJ, behind in 1998 to go back to Philadelphia to take care of her ill father.