Melissia Morrison walks tall despite physical limitations

Melissia Morrison, 31, has never walked properly in her life.

That's because the Wild Cane, St Ann resident, was affected by the Rubella virus, widely known as German measles. This virus causes miscarriages or serious birth defects in a developing baby if the mother is infected while pregnant. Because of her issues with the virus, Morrison, who uses a walker to move around, is afraid to have children.

"I don't have any children, and that is something I wanted as a woman. That is partly because of my disability. Raising a child is much more than having the baby ... it takes more than that. I am fearful of becoming a mother because of my disability. I don't think I'm fit for that position," Morrison told THE STAR. "I don't really plan to have any children. For now, I don't think it would be possible. There are a lot of circumstances and consequences to face when one becomes a mother."

Recounting her younger years, Morrison said that she needed grit and zeal to cope with her disability.

"I resided at the Mona Rehabilitation Centre (now the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre), where I attended the Hope Valley Experimental School. I then moved on to the Mona High School. Like all things in life, my disability has its advantages and disadvantages. A main disadvantage I faced was an identity crisis and wanting to fit in. The realisation that I was different from others and would never be able to 'fit in' accounted for the bitterness I once had for myself and the rage I had towards others around me," she recalled.

Became suicidal

Morrison said that her disability affected her so much that she became suicidal.

"I often sought refuge in my mother, who would do her best to console and reassure me that my condition did not have to define me as an individual. She encouraged me to embrace who I was and the purpose God had for my life," she said.

As she got older, she learned to accept her disability as part of who she is.

"I embraced my own independence. Although I am not able to walk properly, I can still help myself domestically. I am able to wash, cook, and clean without the help of others," she said. "Small compliments helped to shape my confidence and boost me to explore other options."

Morrison became a member of the Sherese Brown Spinal Cord Injuries and Disabled Charity Foundation in 2019. The organisation was started by Brown, who is a paraplegic.

"I found my muse in Sherese Brown. She has opened my eyes to a lot of things in terms of self-love and self-determination. Her work at the foundation in making everyone with a disability feel loved and appreciated is very inspiring. She gives us hope and the will to fight against the discrimination of the disabled community," said Morrison.