Former vendor battling several ailments

On Sunday, 61-year old Donna Morris walked about seven steps from her yard to enter her house, and for several minutes she struggled to catch her breath.

Morris, who resides off McDonald Lane in Maxfield Avenue, St Andrew, suffers from almost a dozen different medical complications and is in dire need of assistance.

"Mi did independent bad, enuh, and if somebody did tell mi say mi a go reach this stage, mi would say a lie. Right now mi can hardly do anything to take care of myself. Mi have diabetes, hypertension, fibroids, kidney and liver issues, mi eyes a get bad, mi have a heart condition. I lose two toes and mi trouble with circulation problem, among other things," she said.

As she sat on a sofa inside the two-bedroom board and concrete dwelling, she pointed towards the ceiling, which can be describe as an accident waiting to happen. The majority of the ceiling has already begun to cave in and she fears that very soon, the entire structure could collapse. Termites could also be observed eating away parts of the board partitions.

"Mi place a rotten down and mi not in the position to fix it . When the earthquake come last year, mi honestly think the roof did a go collapse. Mi nuh think it can survive a storm. Whenever it rain, everywhere in the house wet up because the roof nuh good. Mi have a outside bathroom but if rain fall, I can't go outside because the yard flood out, suh I have to use bucket," Morris said.

Despite the destitute appearance of the house, the former vendor said that this has been the only home she has known over the past four decades. As the tears filled her eyes, Morris told THE STAR that she is never one to stretch her hands to anyone for help but her illnesses have crippled her independence.

"When I walk, I get tired easily or have shortness of breath; or else I would be out there selling mi little goods. Mi son Oneil will work and carry in a little change come give mi. Just recently, mi did a try sell some juice and ting in mi yard, but because shops deh everywhere and mi live way 'round in the lane, it never too work out. Mi have some clothes that someone had given me to sell, but I can't manage to go out and do it," she said.

Aside from her son, Morris said she gets a little assistance from a few good Samaritans, including her neighbours. She expressed gratitude for the kind gestures, but said that she longs for the days when she was able to provide for herself.

"People will check in on mi, and I have a neighbour who ensure say mi get mi Sunday dinner. But the house a bother mi, because mi afraid say one day everything a go fall down. Any little help I can get to fix it, mi would a glad; and mi would pray for blessings on everyone who even pray for me. Mi don't feel any pain really, but mi have a lot of short of breath. Things just get hard," she said.

Persons wishing to assist Donna Morris may contact her at 876-805-5756. Donations can also be made via her NCB savings account # 2094489140.