Physically challenged mother of three seeking a job

Kimberly McCalla feels that she has never got a fair shot at life.  

Not only was she born physically disabled, but the 24-year-old has never laid eyes on her parents, as she was allegedly abandoned as a baby. She has spent the majority of her life in State care. Sitting on her bed in a former commercial building that she currently calls home, she told THE STAR that she longs for a better life for her herself and her three children. 

"Fi tell yuh the honest truth, mi would love a little work because sometimes it nuh good fi take things from people, and mi a talk off experience. Sometimes it turn round and turn cussing to me, suh mi would want to get work. Mi want to show mi children dem the love weh mi never get and make dem go school and become somebody great in life," McCalla said. 

One of McCalla's legs only extends to the knee, while the toes on her foot are deformed. 

"The story that I get is that when my mom was pregnant, she tried to abort the pregnancy so it caused my legs to fuse together like a mermaid, so them split it. I also have a problem with my spine so I don’t have any feelings down there. I have to wear a catheter and diaper at all times. Mi just never have a normal life," she said. 

"It did very hard for me growing up and den mi grow up and literally become mi mother, because fi see say mi nuh have it and mi carry children in the world to come suffer. Every day I have to get up and go by Food for the Poor to see if I can get groceries to put in the house . A lady name Dionne help me out as well but I wish I could get a work," she added.

Previously, McCalla lived in another section of Hanover Street, Kingston, with the father of her two older children. However, the relationship went downhill, which led her to relocate to Hanover Street. She remains estranged from her former partner.

McCalla said the father of her youngest child, who is just two months old, tries his best to care for the family, but he is currently unemployed.  Her older children are ages four and two. 

"When I have my second child, I went on family planning...the one where a patch is put in the arm, but I got pregnant [while using] it. I wanted to tie my tubes but the doctor dem say I was too young. I am on the injection now, so mi hope it work,” she said. McCalla has never worked for a living, and insisted that she has tried to get jobs but that is difficult because she uses a wheelchair. 

“The amount a place mi go, even wholesale, and dem say the work that them have mi not going to be able to do it. Someone say I must go by Abilities Foundation [of Jamaica] to see if dem can place mi somewhere, so is that next mi ago try, McCalla said. 

The building in which the young mother resides is also home to several other families. She said the owner gave them permission to occupy the space, but they may have to relocate soon. 

"Mi living condition bad because when rain fall, the entire place wet up and the place have mould and mi know dat don’t good for the children. The place very hot and if you open the window, is bare fly a go come in. I don’t know what mi ago do when the owners for the building come because I don’t know any mother, father, sister or brother. I don’t have anyone to go to. Mi hear say mi mother leave mi in a fowl coop in Clarendon and someone carry mi go hospital and from there so to children's home," she said. 

Currently, McCalla does not own a cellular phone but may be contacted through Craig Atkins, a neighbour, at 876-864-2439.