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Beating the odds
Published: Thursday | March 8, 2012 Comments 0
Cherry White - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Anastasia Cunningham, News Coordinator
Cherry White is one of those rare gems who does not let her disability or the challenges thrown at her interfere with her zest for life or achieving her dreams. Born on August 6, she has a truly independent spirit.
The 40-year-old, who was born with a congenital deformity, which left her with one leg, is weeks away from completing her course in nursing care at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston. And quite possibly, months away from moving into her own home.
Her dream is to move on to college to further her studies in the field of early-childhood development and later work with the Child Development Agency.
"Early childhood is when you get the chance to mould each child into a well-rounded human being. If you catch them from that age, you can help them to develop much better. It would eliminate most of the problems we are having now," she said.
"I would want to work with all children, but I would love to mainly work with children with special needs. I think it would motivate them to say, 'She is special and she reach this far, so we can do it also'."
Cherry said it was because of her own early-childhood development, which was full of love and care, that led to her positive outlook on life and pleasant disposition.
Born in Devon, Manchester, her father, Terrence White, and mother, Monica Honegan, had a difficulty caring for her along with her 12 siblings.
Requiring special care
She was the only child born with a deformity and requiring special care, which they could not provide, so when she was three years of age, her parents left her in the able care of the Mona Rehabilitation Centre in St Andrew.
While there, 'Skippy', so nicknamed because she was so hyperactive, attended the Hope Valley Experimental School and later did one year at Papine High before financial difficulties forced her parents to pull her out of school and move her back home.
A few years later, she returned to Mona Rehab before finally leaving at age 18, back to Manchester.
Her return to Kingston at age 25 proved challenging, but thanks to friend Minnette Wilson, Cherry later got a job and started furthering herself. Heading back to the classroom, she was successful in the CXC subjects English and principle of business.
Now residing at the Cheshire Village for the disabled in Mona, St Andrew, she is hoping to move into her own home soon.
A few years ago, thanks to the help of her employer, she was able to acquire a home in Longville Park, Clarendon, through the National Housing Trust, but 'due to circumstances beyond my control' she has not been able to move in.
"I was really hoping I could have done so for my last birthday, but things did not work out. I'm really hoping that after I finish my training I can get a job, which will help me to both fulfil my dream of working in early-childhood development and finally being able to move into my own home," he shared.
Cherry is confident she will realise her dreams, especially because "God has been really great to me. He has been taking care of me all my life, putting good people in my life who are always there for me and helping me to get through".
anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com
Published: Thursday | March 8, 2012 Comments 0
Cherry White - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Anastasia Cunningham, News Coordinator
Cherry White is one of those rare gems who does not let her disability or the challenges thrown at her interfere with her zest for life or achieving her dreams. Born on August 6, she has a truly independent spirit.
The 40-year-old, who was born with a congenital deformity, which left her with one leg, is weeks away from completing her course in nursing care at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston. And quite possibly, months away from moving into her own home.
Her dream is to move on to college to further her studies in the field of early-childhood development and later work with the Child Development Agency.
"Early childhood is when you get the chance to mould each child into a well-rounded human being. If you catch them from that age, you can help them to develop much better. It would eliminate most of the problems we are having now," she said.
"I would want to work with all children, but I would love to mainly work with children with special needs. I think it would motivate them to say, 'She is special and she reach this far, so we can do it also'."
Cherry said it was because of her own early-childhood development, which was full of love and care, that led to her positive outlook on life and pleasant disposition.
Born in Devon, Manchester, her father, Terrence White, and mother, Monica Honegan, had a difficulty caring for her along with her 12 siblings.
Requiring special care
She was the only child born with a deformity and requiring special care, which they could not provide, so when she was three years of age, her parents left her in the able care of the Mona Rehabilitation Centre in St Andrew.
While there, 'Skippy', so nicknamed because she was so hyperactive, attended the Hope Valley Experimental School and later did one year at Papine High before financial difficulties forced her parents to pull her out of school and move her back home.
A few years later, she returned to Mona Rehab before finally leaving at age 18, back to Manchester.
Her return to Kingston at age 25 proved challenging, but thanks to friend Minnette Wilson, Cherry later got a job and started furthering herself. Heading back to the classroom, she was successful in the CXC subjects English and principle of business.
Now residing at the Cheshire Village for the disabled in Mona, St Andrew, she is hoping to move into her own home soon.
A few years ago, thanks to the help of her employer, she was able to acquire a home in Longville Park, Clarendon, through the National Housing Trust, but 'due to circumstances beyond my control' she has not been able to move in.
"I was really hoping I could have done so for my last birthday, but things did not work out. I'm really hoping that after I finish my training I can get a job, which will help me to both fulfil my dream of working in early-childhood development and finally being able to move into my own home," he shared.
Cherry is confident she will realise her dreams, especially because "God has been really great to me. He has been taking care of me all my life, putting good people in my life who are always there for me and helping me to get through".
anastasia.cunningham@gleanerjm.com
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