Earleen Williams embraces life with Multiple Sclerosis

Earleen was born a normal healthy baby.

Her childhood was awesome; she ran, she jumped and did all the things the average child would do.

Then with her teenage years came trouble.

Earleen Williams

Earleen’s life took a progressive turn downhill and by the time she was just 18 years old, she had lost her ability to walk.

Many years were spent going from doctor to doctor, trying to find out what was wrong, but the answer to her declining health was elusive.

Almost two decades later she got a diagnosis that many would dread to ever receive.

Earleen Williams was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which is commonly called MS.

Online medical sources say that Multiple Sclerosis is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and central nervous system.

MS is also considered to be an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers nerve fibres.

This results in communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.

There are a number of other autoimmune diseases afflicting people world-wide.

Common among them are Rhumatoid Arthritis and Lupus.

Earleen lives with her elderly mother, Gertude Williams at Ashburton.

Next month, she will be celebrating her 46th birthday.

In her relatively short life, Earleen has already spent many years relying on the use of a wheelchair to move around the house.

As a child, she attended the Belair Government and Gomea Methodist Schools.

She passed the then Common Entrance exams and started her secondary education at the St Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown.

“I was always an intelligent child,” she reflected during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Friday, March 18.

Yes she was intelligent, but fate did not allow Earleen to complete her education.

“I was a regular teenager and was doing well in school, but by the time I was about 14 or 15 years old, I started to get sick,” the Ashburton resident recalled.

“I used to feel weak and vomit after eating.

“I had constant fatigue, I started to walk and drift, like someone who is tipsy or drunk.

“Sometimes when the teacher teaching, I used to feel real drowsy and sleepy,” Earleen remembered, as she spoke to SEARCHLIGHT.

Most of these symptoms started while Earleen was in third form.

They affected her so badly that she had to repeat the form.

She made it to Form Four but increasing sickness prevented her from continuing her education.

Earleen remembered that her ailment had progressed so much, that it became obvious to the staff at SJCK.

“They were always saying I looking so pale.

“In the onset of the disease, I used to walk and drift and sometimes people would not notice, but then it progressed to the point where everyone noticed that I was walking and drifting.

“I used to walk and fall down and sometimes when I tried to stand, I would fall backwards.

“It reached to a point, where I realised I could not stand up without holding on to something.

“I had the strength to stand, I just did not have the balance.”

All these afflictions happened to Earleen while she was in her teenage years, and the worst part was that nobody knew what was wrong with her.

“I had seen so many doctors, but they were never able to say what was wrong with me.”

Even two CT Scans which were done in Barbados did not provide conclusive answers to her declining health.

Earleen said she was already in her thirties when she was diagnosed as having Multiple Sclerosis.

By that time, she had already lost her ability to walk, or do things that a normal young person would do.

“Honestly, I felt relief knowing what was wrong with me, but it was like a double edged sword.

“I was very disappointed too, knowing that I was sick for so long and now they find out it’s MS and nothing could be done.”

Earleen feels if she was diagnosed earlier, things may have been done to slow the progression of the disease.

She recalled that in years past she used to receive physical therapy to help restore her mobility.

“But I had to stop the therapy because of circumstances beyond my control.”

Now Earleen simply has to live with MS and learn to embrace the limitations and challenges that it brings.

“I am challenged, but I can still move, I can still do a lot of things.

“I can cook, I can make my bed and go to the bathroom by myself,” she said with much enthusiasm.

“I can use the phone and I make calls to get information,” the young woman added.

Last year she suffered burns to both knees while cooking.

But she still cooks for herself and her mom.

Twice weekly, she gets assistance from a government home helper.

At present, she is not in much pain or discomfort.

“Sometimes, I get little spasms and involuntary movement in my body.”

Earleen is unable to work and so receives monthly public assistance.

However, sometimes that money is barely enough.

Because of her physical challenges, she is unable to travel in public transportation; so when she has to leave home to go for check ups at hospital, she has to use private medical transportation and the price is relatively high.

However, Earleen Williams is making the best of her life with MS.

As someone who grew up in church, she has a strong faith in God.

“I have proven God so many times, when I was in situations, where only God alone could help me.

“When you call out to God in your desperation, and you believe that he would hear and answer you, he does.”

Earleen said all she can do right now, “is say thanks be to God for his mercy and favour.”

“If it was not for God, and believing in God, I don’t know where I would have been today,” Earleen said from the confines of her wheelchair.

While she faces her own battles, Earleen loves speaking to people and encouraging them daily.

She is an inspiration to many.

“You can’t talk to others and just express sadness, you have to be uplifting and happy, because there are people worse than you,” Earleen admitted.

She does have her moments of sadness and wondering why she has to bear this affliction, but generally, she is contented and happy.
“I came to the realisation a long time ago, there is nothing I can do about my situation, and there is nothing anybody can do about it.

“I am happy, I take life one day at a time and I try not to stress about anything.”

Earleen also expressed deep gratitude to the people of Ashburton.

“Each and every one of them, in their own little way, they help me”, she said, “if there is anything I need, I just call somebody and they would go out of their way to try to help me.”

Additionally, she is thankful to the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Fountain, the New Testament Church in Belair, Faith Word Ministries and Glad Tidings.

Because of her mobility challenges and high transportation cost, Earleen is not able to attend church regularly, but thanks to the Zoom platform she engages regularly in worship online.

Earleen consented to this interview to inspire readers.

Regardless of the situation, Earleen is saying to trust God.

Even as she deals with her own daily challenges, she takes pleasure in preparing meals for her diabetic mother; and even with Multiple Sclerosis, her life has meaning.

At this still young age Earleen Williams is living as a “shut in” but she is definitely not shut out.