“I lost my vision and went totally blind in ‘92.  It started when I was thirteen and I went completely blind at seventeen due to multiple sclerosis.  Just being able to adapt, you know, having vision and then losing it was quite a change.  But I handled that well, [laugh] I mean quickly, not well, but quickly.  I’ve been able to raise children, two on my own by myself being totally blind.  That was a big challenge but I did it.

My children were my driving force.  I had them and knew I had to stay strong because I knew they were dependent on me.  I was basically their mother and father.  I just kept pushing.  I didn’t let anything discourage me.  Sometimes I got a little sad.  But meanwhile everybody’s like I got that smile and you’d never know I was sad because I never let it get me down.

When I get overwhelmed I fall back and get my strength from God.  That’s basically where I get my strength from.  When I get weak, I just ask for strength from God through Him.  And then support comes from my family and friends.  Friends and family let me know that there’s a light at the end of that tunnel, you know.  At the end of the day, there’s someone that’s still gonna be there to encourage me.

Since I was a little, little girl [laugh] I was in church.  I was raised in church.  My faith got even stronger after I lost my sight.  I never left the church.  When I started losing my vision, I just kept thinking I didn’t want to lose my vision.  But I lost my vision with my face in the Bible reading it.  But I kept on just staying in the Word and you know going to church.  I didn’t want to go astray because I felt I would gain strength from those that could encourage me.  And mainly I’ve encouraged other people in church ‘cause that’s where my faith was…in God.

No matter what your situation is, no matter what obstacles you are going through, put your hands in God’s hands and know He will help you through.  No matter what you go through throughout your day there is nothing too hard that God can’t help you get through.  That’s one thing I can tell you!”