Visually impaired woman yearns to see her child

Kimoly Robinson, a resident of Parry Town, St Ann, has never laid eyes on the youngest of her five children after losing her vision years ago.

There is the possibility that the 39-year-old can regain her sight, but at a hefty cost of close to US$38,000 (approximately $5.8 million). She is reaching out to the public for assistance in doing cornea transplant surgery at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Florida.

"Me not being able to see has prevented me from working. My last child is almost six years old and I have never seen her, and that is one of my greatest wishes. I can only imagine how beautiful she is. I got to PTA meetings and I try my best to comb their hair and take part in school activities but I would want to see them. I want back my independence. My spouse and children help but I want to be able to fully function again. I want to help my two smaller girls who are ages eight and five years old. I want to be there for them," she said.

Robinson said she was 18 when she began having vision issues.

"I went to bed okay and I woke up and my eyes were just hurting me. When I look in a different direction, the corner of my eyes hurt. It was a Friday and I went to the doctor the Monday as the pain wouldn't cease. The doctor said I had an infection in my eyes but when I used the eye drops that I got, my eyes weren't getting any better. So I went to another eyecare facility and they referred me to a doctor in Kingston," she said.

Robinson said she began attending the eye clinic at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and it was there she was diagnosed with severe uveitis (inflammation of the eye). It can lead to permanent vision loss, which Robinson suffered by age 19.

"It was rough and a lot of things happened to me at the time. I remember one time my hair catch fire because the electricity was out and I lit a candle and didn't know that it was so close. Sometimes I miss my step and fall and one time I almost got hit down by a car. It was hard for me to go through. I already had two children," she said.

Following two laser surgeries, Robinson said she regained vision in one eye in 2004.

"From 2004 to 2015 I was able to use the eye, but it wasn't as brilliant as before. I was colour blind and I missed my steps on more than one occasion. I wasn't able to secure a job although I was out seeking, because persons were afraid of employing me. After I had my fourth child, my vision went completely again and I was still going to the hospital but the meds weren't working,' she said. Robinson was also diagnosed with glaucoma. She said during one of her visits to KPH, a doctor told her about the cornea transplant surgery.

"I was excited but the doctor told me that this type of surgery is not done in Jamaica, and when I heard what it was like I had lost hope. In October of last year, I met an eye doctor from overseas who told me that I could get the transplant done in Miami," she said.

"From where I am at now, I don't know how I am going to manage. I raise chickens to survive and my partner does his best, but to find so much money is almost impossible. When I do all the calculations, including consultation, surgery, hotel and airline fees, it comes up to approximately US$38,000. I will also have to take someone with me. I am reaching out to anyone who is willing to help me," she added.

Persons wishing to assist Kimoly Robinson may contact her at 876 851-6354. Donations may also be made to her NCB Savings account #584674423.