Daphne determined to defeat disability - Clarendon woman cooks, washes, writes using feet

Born with one hand with only a thumb, 51-year-old Daphne Williams is a picture of resilience.

A former vendor, the Smithville, Clarendon resident does not allow her disability to stand in the way of her carrying out her daily tasks, including cooking, washing and perfecting her craft as a dressmaker, using her feet for support.

Living by the biblical mantra ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’, Williams firmly believes that she was placed on earth for a “special purpose”.

“When I come to realisation, I said this is the miracle of God. It is the work of God, being in this form and to see this great miracle that God has done to allow me to do what I’m doing,’’ she told The Gleaner, noting that all her skills are self-taught.

With no formal diagnosis, Williams – the fifth of six children and the only one disabled – said her late mother cited domestic woes and emotional distress as the cause of her disability.

“When I ask my mother why I have to come like this, she said it was the struggles. That is all she say. One of the time, some persons from foreign came and said they would take me for surgery, but I said no,” she said. “I will take any other help, but I am not going to do nothing on what God do, ‘cause it’s not giving me any trouble.”

She further revealed that her parents were reluctant to registering her in the formal education system, out of fear of her being scorned or ridiculed. As a result, she started primary school at age 10 and graduated shortly before her 17th birthday – when she should have been leaving high school.

“One morning, I took a stick and was writing some zeros with my foot,” she said. She has improved her skills greatly and now admits that she loves writing.

“God granted me wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and I see it as a process for me to learn.”

A Sunday-school teacher at the Smithville Baptist Church, she professed her love for children and said the congregation, of which she has been a member since 1994, was very supportive.

WALKING MIRACLE

Church member Dorrett Campbell spoke highly of Williams.

“She is a walking miracle, knowing she only has one hand and she’s able to do so many things. She doesn’t like when people do things for her. That’s the type of person she is, and she doesn’t love when people pity or sorry for her,” Campbell told The Gleaner. “She’s a prayer warrior, because God uses her in such a way that baffles us.”

“She does everything a person with two hands and two feet can do,” niece Renita Smith-Davis added. “She spreads her bed, wipes the floor – all of these little things.”

Williams believes that not enough is being done to cater to disabled persons, especially in rural areas.

Though disabled, Williams’ greatest challenge is not physical. She is saddled by financial woes and a lack of resources, and pointed to an incomplete house on which construction was halted in 2008 as funds dried up.

For 33 years, Williams had worked as a vendor at the Smithville Primary School and the May Pen Market. However, she had to move outside of Clarendon for a few months, resulting in her being dislocated and a subsequent depletion of her savings. She has since been sustained by the generosity of others.

“There are times you need help and you don’t really see anybody. I would love some help to fix up my house and a little bathroom,” she told The Gleaner.

She added that she would love to be able to own a sewing machine, as she aims to profit from her sewing skills.

Anyone willing to assist Williams may contact her at 876-562-3732.

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