Resa was an extraordinary woman from birth. Born at 25 weeks gestation, she fought for her life numerous times for one year, when she was finally able to come home to us from the hospital. She had a tracheostomy which made her unable to speak. At one year of age, she had to start over as a newborn. She quickly learned how to cover the stoma and never quit talking. She learned to roll over and crawl and walk by age 2. Each little milestone was a big deal. However her vision of 20/200 in her best eye was never going to improve. She attended regular schools with accommodations but not without extreme difficulty and she never gave up. She graduated from college and was on a career path when her vision started to deteriorate even with intense medications and eye doctor visits. She was left in a world of blackness 4 years ago.
Resa’s years of struggles helped pave the way for this disability. From the very beginning, she had a wondrous acceptance of the disability and took to learning how to navigate without vision, eat, and dress by using apps on her cell phone and computer to enable her to function. She is very patient with herself and trusts those who try to help her. She has been to special schooling to teach her Braille, mobility, and independent living skills. She now has her own apartment. There is no boundary for this woman! Covenant Women Ministries chose to honor Resa as she is a long-time member of Galesburg Covenant Church and attends the Tuesday women’s Bible study where she never fails to inspire with her upbeat attitude and unwavering faith.