A Mother’s Experience with A Daughter's Sudden Blindness

Mama Nelius, Nelius and Baba Nelius

When my daughter told me that she could not see, I thought she was pretending and reprimanded her asking her whether she did not realize the desperate condition of true blind people. Nelius lost her sight suddenly due to what doctors said was “intracranial pressure”. It is only when we went to the hospital and the doctor gave the grim diagnosis on her sight that I realized she was not faking. Words cannot express the shock and hopelessness I felt. I nearly lost my will to live. But God is great because he gave me strength.

I remember telling Nelius that at least she knew how to read and write and would catch on quickly with the raised writing that they did at Thika School for the Blind.  I thought they used the normal letters. Imagine my surprise when I saw the kind of dots they used! I had no idea.

When I look at my daughter now, I still feel a pang of pain and regret at what could have been. She had been good at math and used to talk of working in the bank. However, all that is in the past and I have accepted the situation and the new possibilities. Nelius has been a real joy to us as a daughter, and she has a heart of gold.

Being a born again Christian, I  find comfort in the words:“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4; 4-7.

Read Interview with Nelius Wanjeri and also her Farewell to Nelius Wanjeri

This article first appeared in the September-October 2009 issue of Woman of Faith magazine. Copyright Woman of Faith Magazine. All rights reserved. For comments write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it