Through Our Eyes: The New Norm
Miyaa came to us for the same reason so many others do. She wanted to be more independent. But there’s something else driving her, something much more personal and closer to her heart.
It’s what her mother would have wanted.
In this Q & A with Miyaa, she talks about her journey with vision loss and how her mother played into her decision to be a part of our Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program.
Q: What is your eye condition?
A: When I was 43 years old, I had severe high blood pressure, which led to a stroke, and by the time I got to the hospital, it had already damaged my eyes and my kidneys. I have been on dialysis since 2021, and I have been visually impaired since 2020. In 2020, I had laser surgery to reattach my retina. The intensity of the laser actually blinded me in one eye. I have cataracts in the other eye but have been too scared to have them removed. At first, I was upset and angry but once I accepted it there was no stopping me.
Q: How has being at Alphapointe impacted your life so far?
A: It has impacted my life so much. It has opened me up because I am now around people that are just like me
Q: What made you decide to come to Alphapointe?
A: My mom used to say to me: ‘Miyaa, you need to go to a blind school, so you can learn braille and how to live, because your going to need it,’ but at the time I couldn’t go because I was my mother’s caregiver, and she was on dialysis, she couldn’t walk and needed 24-hour care, so I sacrificed and took care of her. I took care of her until she went to heaven, and then I vowed to myself I would do what my mom wanted me to do. I’m doing this for her, but it is benefiting me. That is what brought me to Alphapointe, to learn how to live in my new normal, and do so without being angry or hurt.
Q: What motivates or drives you?
A: My mother was my biggest cheerleader, and I was hers. Because I was an only child, I didn’t want to put my mother in a nursing home, I wanted her to feel all the love I had to give to her, regardless of me being on dialysis or being visually impaired, but she is gone now, so I just want to make her proud.
Q: How has being at Alphapointe impacted your life so far?
A: It has impacted my life so much. It has opened me up because I am now around people that are just like me. I have been able to help others open up their shell. I try to be as uplifting and motivating to some of the younger clients that are here; I try to be a positive influence to them.
Q: What do you hope to take away from Alphapointe when you leave?
A: I hope to take all the skills I have learned and be an influence to others that are walking in my shoes. Cooking has always been a passion, and I want to get back to that. I love the friendliness of Alphapointe, how we all just help each other out; there needs to be more of that in this world and I want to leave here and do that for others.
Q: What advice would you give to someone experiencing vision loss?
A: Embrace it, its your new normal, so normalize it. Don’t be angry at the world. Make your vision loss work for you.
