Have you ever stopped and wondered why Mrs. Ward wears an eye patch? What might have happened to her eye? She has a long-term condition called Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease that weakens the muscles in the body. This occurs because the body’s defense system mistakenly attacks proteins or even healthy cells, causing them to weaken and break down. Mrs. Ward doesn’t know exactly why she developed it, as it isn’t hereditary. However, she believes it may have been triggered by exposure to something after she came out of the military, which is when the disease first appeared.
Despite having this disease, her right eye hasn’t changed much. She explains, “It’s normal with the exception of the direction I’m looking. If I look straight or to the right, it’s fine. If I look left, it doesn’t go as far, and it won’t look up.” As you can see, Myasthenia Gravis affects how her eye moves and limits how far it can turn, likely due to weakened muscles around the eye.
As you might expect, she felt uncomfortable at first and was concerned about what people thought of her eye—especially when some assumed the eye was missing. But over time, she got used to it and now doesn’t mind when people ask questions. In fact, she prefers that people ask rather than spread rumors or make assumptions.
Although it may sound scary, Mrs. Ward has learned a lot about the disease and how to manage it. At first, it was very challenging. She said, “I was 22, newlywed with a baby. It was more severe and affected my whole body.” This made everyday tasks difficult—she would bump into tables and door frames, and it also affected her ability to teach.
Over time, however, she adapted and found ways to cope. She became more comfortable talking about her condition and helping others understand what happened to her eye, instead of letting them jump to conclusions. Even though Myasthenia Gravis has impacted her life in many ways, she doesn’t let it define or limit her.