Woman desperate after losing leg and toes

It's difficult to listen to Maxine Hyatt as she shares how her life has progressively worsened over the past year and not shed a tear.

As she sat on a bed in her mother's house in Harbour View, St Andrew, she burst into tears as she saw the news team. Her daughter, Petresa Reece, offered support but was also moved to tears. Eighteen months ago, Hyatt said she was an independent and strong woman. Though still reeling from the death of her two sons about three years ago, she still managed to work and provide for her family. However, early last year her life took a drastic and mysterious change.

"It was sweet until mi go a country go work one year now, and fi tell yu di truth, mi never did a look fi see things a go happen to mi. When mi reach home 'bout two days later, mi start wonder how mi foot feel heavy and mi go a mi pastor and him say, 'Jesus Christ, yuh nuh see say yuh foot gone'. Mi ask him what him mean, and him say di foot dun fah," she said.

Hyatt, who has diabetes, said within days her right foot turned black and started to wither. She said she sought medical attention, and a doctor was shocked at her condition.

"Him run all type of tests, and tell mi say is not the diabetes do mi foot suh and dem have no choice except to cut off mi [right] foot last February," she said.

This has led her to believe that her ailment may be a curse. Reece said when her mother began working outside of Kingston, she started having some strange dreams and encouraged her to leave the location.

"Mi start feel it in mi spirit say something wrong and when mi see her, her foot never start rotten yet, but for some reason it looks a bit different. Mi start tell her say summen wrong with it. Few days later, it just get black and start rotten, and mi feel like mi wah run. Mi feel every pain," Reece said.

Following the amputation, Hyatt said she was in and out of hospital, and shortly after lost all the toes on her left foot. This she blamed on diabetes. Downtrodden, she said she misses her independence.

"From mi lose the foot, a bare pain mi a feel all over," she pleaded.

Since her mother fell ill, the bulk of the responsibility for her care has been placed on Reece's shoulders. But she is finding it extremely challenging to make ends meet.

"Her mother used to travel and she come back home to help with her. I have to find food and everything for her. I lost my job because of this situation because a di only mother mi have. Mi do days work, enuh, but it can't help the way I would want to. I have to buy Pampers, food and dem tings deh. Sometimes mi feel like giving up, but if mi do that, who is going to be there for her?" Reece said between tears.

She pleaded with members of the public to help her mother in any way they can.

"If you can assist her with some food or any little thing, I would appreciate it. Sometimes the little money that I have to spend on my child, I have to use it spend on my mother, and sometimes I feel a way," Reece added. She pointed to a chicken coop in the backyard, and said that a few dozen chicks would assist her in starting a small business.

"Right now mi have prescription to fill for the strips to test the sugar and mi can't afford it. Mi deh under NHF, but sometimes is not all the time dem have the medications dem. Mi have a blood test to do the 27th of this month, and that is another money to find again," Hyatt said.

Persons wishing to assist Maxine Hyatt may contact her daughter Petresa Reece at 876-201 6587. Contributions may also be made through Reece's NCB savings account No. 404463608, UWI Mona branch.