[rehab] Heartbraking story

[adrijana prokopenko]

 Hi all,

 Just got this heartbraking story by email. This person allowed me to
copy it and send it to this list, so hopefully someone can find out
what lies behind all this, seems like this person has it way too hard
for some reason and he lives in the US. Feel free to read through,
email him and send this message to others if you think they can
somehow be of help.

Falling threw the Cracks Please make a difference By Joseph Machise.
I am writing out of mixed emotions from a handicapped person's world. This
is
my story. My name is Joseph Machise and I am blind. I was born to Joseph and
Alice Machise on March 2, 1947. From the beginning it was difficult for my
parents to accept my blindness. After I was born, things between my parents
became physically abusive. My mother tried to leave my father, but she was
convinced by family members to stay. My fate was sealed. Apparently they
blamed each other for my blindness.
I lived in constant terror of my parents. This had caused me severe
psychological
problems that persist to this day. I was kept isolated and forced to study.
I was punished for the smallest infractions. They would say "We love
you, and that
is why
we punished you. I longed for a normal life with loving parents, but it was not
to be. Neighbors and other family
members refused to intervene, so I just had to take it.
Life for me was largely without meaning. I had trouble even getting around.
I became frustrated at "things" because they were always in my way and
causing trouble. When I showed my anger, my parents belittled and
abused me verbally, as well as physically, causing me to rebel. As I became
older, I developed problems in
school. Eventually, I was sent to Perkins School for the Blind. This was
before "mainstreaming" and we were
kept separated from the rest of the world. I was unable to enjoy
relationships with the opposite sex. For a time,
I was locked up in a mental institution for defending myself against my
mother's attacks.
Today, my family has little contact with me. We haven't been able to
reconcile our differences, although I
have tried. For the most part, they have abandoned me. I presently live in a
one-room apartment, alone. I enjoy listening to
radio, classical music and short-wave. Electronics and Aviation also hold a
fascination for me. I hope, one day, to have an electronic bill
reader to make money identification easier. I frequently eat at the public
soup kitchen to stretch the meager
government allowance that I depend on. Agencies for the blind have done
nothing but put me on endless
waiting lists. Improving my living conditions just does not happen. Appeals
to radio talk shows have failed.
Thank you for reading and hearing my situation in life. If you can help in
any way, financially or otherwise,
please feel free to call or contact me at the number and address listed
below. You are also welcome to e-mail
me. My e-mail
is
josephmachise at comcast.net.