Angela's Heart-rending Story

“My name is Angela McNabb.” That’s how Angela starts her heart-rending story. Tears—unwelcome—stream down my face. Angela can’t see my tears because she can’t see. I don’t cry when I listen to stories, or I try not to. But, this time, this story, with tragedy after tragedy, penetrates my being and this is the reason I must share Angela’s story with you and ask for your help.  My name is Peaches Ledwidge, co-owner of Day Laughs Night Cries. I ask you to help brighten Angela’s Christmas with a donation that will help to meet our $500 goal. Thank you for reading, sharing and giving.

Here’s Angela’s story

Confused and Scared
I had terrible headaches and I didn’t know what to do. One day, my headache was really bad. I went to the doctor and he did a physical test and said there was fluid on my optic nerve that caused the headache. He suggested I pull the fluid. I did the surgery and came home. A day after the surgery, my vision was not like it was before. I felt like something was over my eyes. Each morning I woke up, my sight was worse than the day before. One morning when I woke up, I was walking but felt I was walking through a dark cloud. I was confused and scared. I started wondering what was going on. Something was wrong. I started to cry. I was twenty-six and I knew I was blind.  

His Pain Got Worse
After losing my sight, my aunt told my boyfriend, whom I lived with, that he didn’t have to stay with me and that if he wanted to, he could send me back to my home. My boyfriend said he didn’t care if I was blind and he said he would marry me. We got married in June, then I got pregnant and had a daughter in July, the following year.

Suddenly, barely three months after my daughter was born, my husband just got sick. His head was hurting really bad. His family took him to the doctor and the doctor gave him medication. But the pain got worse. His family started caring for him and gave him herbal medicine, but nothing helped. Each day, like my eyesight, his pain got worse. Then he had an epileptic seizure. Then he couldn’t walk. He became totally disabled. Just like that. Within nine days after his first headache, he died. I cried and I cried. My husband who took care of me was gone and I was blind with no job and I had my daughter that I could not see.

I Thought I was Dreaming
Two months after my husband died, my aunt took me from my husband’s family because she did not want me to become a burden. I lived with my daughter in a little house. But if things were bad before, they would get worse. A year after my husband died, I was sleeping. Then I felt like the house was hotter than normal and I got hotter and hotter. I thought I was dreaming. But I felt like something woke me from the dream and I grabbed the baby and ran to open the door to escape. I didn’t know what direction to take. I felt like I was still dreaming because I couldn’t see. As I fled from the house with the baby in my arms, I fell into a gutter near my house. The baby was crying and I got some bruises.

The house was on fire. It burned to the ground. Everything I owned was gone. Everything that was important in my life was slowly being taken from me. I lived with my family for a while—they helped me. A politician heard my story and built this house for me. Thank God for helping me through that sad time.

I got saved [and became a Christian]. I met a guy and he said he would marry me. I was happy that he wanted me even though I was blind. Then he left. I cried and cried. I was sad and I got depressed. I had a nervous breakdown and was taken to the hospital and put on medication. But God was my best friend and He carried me through.

My Wish for Today or Tomorrow
Most of the time, I’m happy. If could move around more, maybe I wouldn’t be sad at all. I do everything. Even the white clothes I wash are so clean and white that that people say I can see. The only thing I do not do is walk on the street because I’m scared I could get hit by a car.

I hope my eyesight will return. Every morning I wake up I hope for that. My biggest wish is see my daughter’s face. I want to see her face and say, “You are pretty. You are beautiful.” If I wake up and see my daughter, I think I would fly.
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(Angela lives in Jamaica. There is no social system there like the ones that exist in North America or in some European countries. Securing a job is difficult and securing one with impaired vision is almost hopeless. By providing her with extra cash, I hope, in a small way, we will bring more joy to her life this holiday.)