Ottis Gordon needs help to see again

At 50 years old, Ottis Gordon now spends most of his days sitting quietly on the veranda of his home in Hampstead, Yallahs, St Thomas. Through blurred eyes, he still tries to enjoy watching the world pass by.

"These days, like now, I just sit on the veranda and try observe everything. I try to make out those who I was familiar with before, but I mostly use voices," he said.

Gordon is unable to see properly due to cataracts. The debilitating condition has gradually robbed him of not only of his vision, but also the independence and livelihood. "But the reality is, this is not me, you know. Me used to active and up, but now I am here sitting most days," Gordon shared.

He told THE STAR that he was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension in 2006. While he says he remained committed to improving his health and taking his medication, he acknowledged a few shortcomings.

"The doctors prescribed that I take four insulin in the day, but few times, because I am on the go, I missed them, but now I am taking my medications as prescribed," he said.

Before his vision began to fail, Gordon worked as a vendor, travelling from St Thomas to Kingston to sell ground provisions from the back of his pickup truck.

"My mother used to sell in downtown Kingston, so I continued the trend. I used to go to Kingston three times a week and sell on the main roads ... just drive around and sell," he recalled. However, in 2022, Gordon said he began noticing changes in his eyesight. Still determined, Gordon tried to continue working until a motor vehicle crash brought everything to a halt.

When his hustle came to an end, the medical testing continued, a process Gordon described as a constant "back and forth." However, one test in 2023 left him feeling deeply discouraged after it was discovered that there was bleeding at the back of the eye. He was referred to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), where he was told his blood pressure and blood sugar levels needed to be under control before he could receive laser treatment.

"The doctors tried to get my pressure and sugar down, but they couldn't keep them down, so I couldn't do the test and I was sent home to try to contain it," he said.

When he eventually managed to stabilise his levels, he faced another setback. This time around, the machine at the UHWI was not working," he said.

Still determined to improve his eyesight, Gordon sought treatment elsewhere. "I have done the laser treatment three times, but each time I go home and expect it to be better, things are not getting better. It is getting worse," he said.

But in what may be his best chance yet to regain at least half of his sight, Gordon says a vitreoretinal surgeon has given him renewed hope, explaining that surgery could restore between up to 50 per cent of his vision.

"She told me I can regain 50 per cent to 60 per cent, and that she was going to put in a lens. She just convinced me, and I believe I can see again," he said. Now, with his blood pressure and diabetes better managed, Gordon says he is ready for surgery.

However, the total cost, approximately $950,000, remains a major obstacle.

"I think I can get my sight back. The money is the problem, so I just want some assistance," he said. For Gordon, restoring his vision would mean more than returning to work.

"I could go back and do my little selling and get a little independence back. It would mean a lot to me," he said.

"But more importantly, the joy would be to see my loved ones again. I haven't seen them in a long time," he said.

Now, Gordon is appealing to the public for help. Anyone willing to assist with donations toward his surgery is being asked to come forward and help give him a chance to see again.

Persons willing to assist Ottis Gordon may contribute via gofundme: https://gofund.me/4f3f7eef1