Visually impaired single father seeks assistance

Antony 'Steve' Buckige completely lost his sight in October 2019, and since then, his life has been in state of complete turmoil as he is no longer able to make ends meet.

"I usually build house and do a whole heap a little work, like chop out people yard and ting fi help my living. But since I can't see to do nothing me have to just stay in," Buckige told THE STAR. Buckige, who resides in a board shack off Waltham Park Road, says it is not conducive for him and his 14-year-old son as regards his safety.

"Is a little one-room board house me live in and me not even have space, and because sometimes a me deh home and me have to cook, sometimes me worried it might burn down," he said. "Sometimes me little boy cook for me. I have to tell him what to do because him young, but a just so it go because me nuh have nobody else to help me."

Buckige said that he had cataracts in his right eye which worsened over time. Then last year, he lost vision in the left eye in a freak accident.

Turn my back

"Last year July me did a wash a bucket truck and I put up the wiper and turn my back because someone was talking to me, and make the mistake turn around not remembering it was up and it stick me in my left eye," he said. The medical bill to scrape the left eyeball was too hefty for Buckige, but he still hopes to get the surgery done.

"The doctor say a $400,000 to scrape the eye but the money, I couldn't afford it, so me just deh here until me can't see out of it," he said. "I even asked the doctor if he could do a thing for me that I could see back and then I will work and pay it little by little, but she say she couldn't help me." His hope is to at least regain sight in one eye.

"Me would need little help to scrape the cataract off my eye so me can see back. Because once that happen me can work back again and take care of certain things," he said.

As a single father, he says he is also worried about his son's future as he is no longer in a position to provide for him.

"Me use to find the bread fi eat but now me not even know how him a survive because me can't help him," he told THE STAR. "School might start back and I don't have no money to can buy a shoes or khaki if him to go back to school. Him have a one suit a khaki but it look old so if him could get a little help I'd appreciate it."

Those who are willing to help Buckige can contact his neighbour Jermaine Williams at (876) 881-3443.