‘If mi never believe in God, mi woulda dead already’

Sixty-year-old citizen Agatha Smith may be bedridden, but her faith is very much alive.

In 2011 at age 51, Smith was an able-bodied woman, working and managing to take care of her needs, until one morning, she collapsed and was unable to use her hands and feet.

Visits to the doctor gave her no clue of her condition, except that she was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes.

Smith said it is her faith in God that has been seeing her through the tough circumstances she finds herself in.

“Mi just believe in God. You si, if mi never believe in God, mi woulda dead already,” she said bluntly in a telephone interview with The Gleaner.

The senior who washes from her bed, said she would love to move around, but has no wheelchair and makes a plea for one that she can get out of the bed.

She said there are times she frets and cries when she thinks about how much her life has drastically changed.

“But my relationship with God keeps me going. A, love when good Samaritan come and visit and pray wid me ... a just feel good. Everybody come mi beg dem prayer, it mek di difference,” she shared, informing that, when she first collapsed, she couldn’t see or speak or hear, but she “call pon Jesus” although her hearing is still poor. The Gleaner had to speak with Toshane Young, parish organiser, National Council for Senior Citizens, to assist in getting the questions answered.

Smith said,, a few days ago, she had nothing to eat and reached out to God, and since then, ‘people just bring tings”.

It is for that reason she said that no matter how hard or rough it gets; she will never give up on Jesus.

Young in sharing with The Gleaner the hard facts from her visit,: describes Smith’s living condition as “bad” and “deplorable”.

She said she was alerted to Smith’s plight by Rosetta Taylor of Rock River, who is the president of the senior citizens club of Rock River, and one who has also been assisting with getting food to Smith.

“The roof is full of holes. If rain falls, she gets wet. The structure is just board and you can see through it from the outside. Bamboo is used to brace the top and it looks to be shifting. There are a whole lot of cracks in the floor,” Young said, as she fielded questions from the bedside of Smith.

The wooden, broken down structure also accommodates her daughter and three grandchildren.

Young said currently she is tasked with sorting out the ‘PATH issues’ Smith has and requesting mattresses and beds as, she said, the condition is not pleasant.

She also shared that she intends to reach out to Food For The Poor, as someone started a structure for her some years ago, but nothing has been done since.