Becca Taking Back Her Life

Hello all welcome to the Hope Without Sight Podcast with your hosts Saylor Cooper

And Tyler Evans.

The topic of this podcast will consist of many stories of people from various backgrounds and experiences who have had many challenges and have been able to successfully overcome them and rise to the top.

So sit back and relax as we give you the best of these diverse stories.

Because if you are feeling down and out like you cannot make it in the world, then this podcast is the right one for you. Because if my guests can make it, so can you happy listening

All right, good morning. Welcome to another episode of help without site where if your house sale Cooper, and my co host, this is Tyler Evans. Welcome to our second episode. Today we're gonna be featuring a Neville inspirational figure who has overcome so many challenges in life. She is a blind woman who has belongs to the national federation with blind. She has been blind since she was 12 years old has overcome so many challenges. And to tell us all about it, please welcome Rebecca Meadows. Rebecca, how you doing this morning?

Great Saylor. How are you?

Doing? Well, doing well. Thanks for agreeing to be on the hump of outside podcast today with my co host Tyler. And the reason why I invited you is because you and I we met at the convention of the National Federation of the Blind in New Orleans, and I got to be on your podcast first sexually self out why not up online? And I'm so glad you're here because indeed you have overcome so much adversity. I I've read your I've read your most recent book, you've written metamorphosis, and what you tell in that story is just remarkable. And it only gives a message of hope that if if you can achieve anybody can. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. So can I talk to you then about my book and stuff? Sure. Yes, go ahead. Um, so as Taylor was saying, we met at the National Federation of the Blind in New Orleans last month. And, and we, we had a lot of good times there. And I, we met a lot of great people and stuff. But, um, after Saylor and I met, I sent him an audible copy of my most recent book, my third book that I published last December. It's called metamorphosis. And this was my first this is the third book I published was my first venture into fiction. And what I've done with this book is, in six short stories I've written I've retold my own life, and from the perspective of different blind women, and in the book, these blind women go through the same obstacles and the same hurdles, and same trials that I went through. And, and in the book, they change their thought processes, to help them overcome all this incredible stuff in their lives. To to succeed, and, and in the book. I mean, I broke it up into six short stories to make it funner and each story focuses on a different period of my life when I overcame just an unbelievable obstacle and, and I've had to overcome obstacles that many blind people have not had to overcome. And so I'm just going to try to give you guys a brief, I'll give you guys a brief description of each of the six short stories. The first short story is called growing hair on your chest, which is just a few pages of words of wisdom from Blind Becca. And I honestly say it like that like that. It's coming from Blind Becca, right.

Right. And also you mentioned God and now you mentioned that God is your Savior and he he's he gives you the strength to do.

Exactly that was an important theme throughout this book that is throughout all my books, but this one in particular this was an important theme that Saylor really picked up on and and and so the next story The second story is called the trials of Tracy Jones. And it's about Tracy Jones, a young woman who goes through public high school, as a blind woman with no accommodations, this woman wasn't allowed to use a cane in school, she wasn't allowed to learn braille, or use accessible technology. And, and she was just pushed through high school not being able to keep up with her peers and not being able to not be unable to participate at a on an even keel with her peers. And through this whole experience, she was so angry, and she knew that someday she would share her story with the world to teach others so this wouldn't happen again. And oh, wow. And so so that's what I tell them that story. And the next story, I tell is Penny Palmer story, which is just about a two year period in the author's life, when she learned a lot of important things about herself and about the world that later on help her overcome some other obstacles in her life. And the next story is called Saving best baby. And that's the story of Beth Greene and her husband, Greg, and their legal battle to escape from the abusive guardianship that death found herself locked under when she was 20 years old by her parents and their lawyers. And she was locked under that for 15 years. But that story is about that struggle. And then after that, the next story is called Gretch Thresh. And it's about Gretchen stones, first National Federation of the Blind convention, where she learns all kinds of wonderful things about her abilities, and the abilities of her peers. And at the end of that story, she has a really big win. And then the final story in metamorphosis is called My premonition. Yeah. And it's about a premonition that God gave me before the accident when I was a child before any of this ever happened. And throughout the, throughout my life, the last 33 years, as I've been dealing with all this stuff, I've often reflected back to that premonition he gave me, you know, for strength, and stuff. So I share that story in there. And I've kind of tried to tie it all together to give my readers the same faith and in faith in themselves, faith in God and faith in their country that the same fate that the characters in the book had. And I've had a few of my friends read the book now, and especially my blind friends, they, they seem like they're so impacted with by my stories, like they they see, it seems to me like they think you have the same, it also get the same faith in themselves that I had to overcome all that BS, right.

Exactly. And you see, I've I read a book last week, and I was so moved and inspired because, I mean, I like how you allow those characters like Tracy Penny, them touching in some of those characters, it's really, you know, that that went through it, and you told it in third person, I like how I like how you did that.

And so that but Listen, guys, I make I'm writing my next book. And I'm, I plan on being done with the first draft sometime this month. So I can send it on to my editor, and we can begin the publication process. And this book is called this next book is called still busy steering. And it's my next short story collection. And three of the stories in this next series are part two of stories in metamorphosis, for example, like in Penny Palmer story and metamorphosis. Something really tragic happens at the end of her story. And so when I tell Part Two of her story, she realizes that even though she she thought she lost everything, she realizes that now she can actually start rebuilding from the ground up. Because what happens is they in well, I'm going to give you guys a little spoiler here, at the end of Penny story in metamorphosis, she gets locked under a guardianship, and I and if you guys don't know that these guardians ships, and they're also known as another term they use as conservatorships and guardianships very, very similar to the same thing when it comes to legal terminology. And what these lawyers do is they find people who have money, and it doesn't matter how much money you have, I've met people who live on Social Security or disability income, who are left locked under guardianship. Because of my struggle. God has brought my path, my cross paths, God has made my path cross with so many other people who are struggling with their own guardianship. So I've heard so many different stories, right. And like I've heard about, like I said, I've heard about people who are living on disability and and their sister in law, like their husbands died or something right and their sister in law will become their legal guardian. And then their sister in law takes like 95% of their their income, because then they're just rely is there payee and the pays another terminal another term that is part of all of this right, right. As many of your viewers probably know what a payee is because many of them probably have had payees. And so they understand the, the, the abuse that I'm talking about and the way that they take your rights away, but when so a pay is, it's something they do to a lot of disabled people who only have disability income or something to live on, right. But sometimes when you have more money, they they lock you down under guardianship and conservatorship and, and they'll even slap these guardianship and conservatorship on you if all you have is Social Security, right? Because some of these people these thieves, they really are thieves. All these things want is more money, right? Even if it's only a few $100 a month, or if it's a few 1000 a month or a few 100,000. Right? There's so many disabled people out there and not just disabled people, elderly people to listen when I was in Montana. Oh, it made me so sad. One of my neighbors when I lived in Missoula, her name was LC. When I moved to my bought the house next to LC and her husband, Ed. They were I don't know, they were grandparent aged. Right. But they are both vibrant. And still doing things. Right. And that

was in the book too. I'll see I remember. Yeah. Wow.

LC are you thinking? Oh, you're thinking about LC and in the kitchen. Yeah. I was taught when Tracy was in high school. Yeah. But as an adult, that same character who's me I actually had a neighbor named LC and an LC Martinson I was their neighbor in Missoula, Montana for years. And when I wow, they were a delightful couple and, and then I had my first son. I'm not I don't want to say my first son's name, I call him Wayne in the book. So I had my first son Wayne, when I was living next door to Ed and Elsie. And, um, and I remember when when Wayne was just like two or three years old, at an LC would get back from like an errand to the store or whatever. At the same time, John and I are I mean, Wayne, would be arriving home from a bus trip or whatever. And we'd be walking down the sidewalk to the house and headed LC would pull up in their car, and they'd be in their driveway and LLC would see as wacky and she gets so excited to see my son Wayne. And Wayne would get excited too. And he'd run up and greet her right. And, and her husband, Ed was always really excited to see Wayne too. And wow, that's good. And then Edie got sick with leukemia and died. And then very shortly after that, I remember, I kept a close eye on what was going on at LCS house because I was just waiting for somebody to come and take her out of her house at once her husband was dead. And it wasn't long before I went over to visit her one day, because I saw a car parked in front of her house. And it she was sitting on her couch and she was crying and her sister was there, and some other relatives, one or two other relatives. And I said Elsie, what's going on? And she said, Patti, that was her daughter, she said, Patty, Patty tricked me into signing this paperwork. And now she's selling my house out from under me and she's putting me at a home in this other city where I don't know anybody. And, and it really broke my heart for my neighbor, LC, she was so scared and, and I prayed with LC that day, and I told LCSW at LC I'm so sorry for you, because this is exactly what my parents and my lawyers did to me when I was 20 years old. So what else he was feeling? You know?

I do. Yeah, I am. And, and,

and so like I said, this happens to elderly people. And then I've also met a lot of disabled people, people in wheelchairs, people who are blind people who who have no visible disability, but just have like some cognitive delays, even those sorts of people I've met, and all these sorts of people find themselves locked into these guardianships and find themselves penniless, because they're now living on an even more fixed income than they were originally because now they have this payee or this guardian or this conservator who they have to pay to manage their, their affairs for them.

Yeah, and and they do all this because of money. And like I know in the book you even mentioned whenever your parents put you in that guardianship because your parents because yeah, let's go back a little bit. I know you have a brain tumor at 12. And the doctor doctors tried to do surgery to correct it and instead it of course it made things worse. It made you go blind and

So listen, if you can't say the doctors did a, b and c and made it worse, and maybe go blind, because there were different doctors involved. For one, there was the original doctor who had been treating me for three years. Wow, three years before this incident. But and this final incident that that doctor did the one who had been treating me for three years who was Miss diagnosing the brain tumor, the final thing he did was he performed a spinal tap on me. And it caused the pressure in my brain to skyrocket to the point where my brain herniated. So it was diagnosed that for three years, and then who did the Spinal Tap, who killed me? And who I hadn't recovered from all the damage he did to my body and brain? Oh, that's right. Yeah. It was because he did the spinal tap that I want it paralyzed on the left side of my body. I was paralyzed unless I my body when I woke up from my coma. Right. Right. And, and that's why it turned out to be such a horrendous thing. And so that first doctor was the doctor that was at fault. I have forgiven him long ago, and my readers will learn about some of that if they read my books. But it was the doctors later on the doctors who saved my life by performing that emergency surgery. They did a spin performance cerebral infraction on my brain and emergency surgery to save my life. Because of what that first doctor did. My brain was like scrambled eggs.

Thanks for the correction. Yeah, so the Spinal Tap was the one that caused you to go blind. And I remember in the book, you were saying how that all those doctors, they fought the other side of your brain that's responsible for like decision making and cognition. They thought that was affected. Which is, was probably reason why, you know, they put you under that guardianship they thought you were like, mentally incapable, which we know you're not I mean, that.

Did you read all three of my books? Or did you only read metamorphosis? Metamorphosis so far? Oh, wow. Because you got a lot. Very intuitive.

Yeah. Cuz I mean, honestly, I did want to read all of them before we came on the podcast. But like you said, no, no, no, just wait. Metamorphosis. And you know, we can do it. Yeah.

And I've actually, I'm almost done with this next book called still busy stereo in which I have like, the, the, like I said, this is part two of these three blind women. Right, right. And so So in this next story, I tell apart to a penny Palmer story in which I, I give a detailed description of her time in a traumatic brain injury rehab rehabilitation program in Missoula, Montana, that, that Guardian took her to and left the I mean, he just took her there and abandoned her. And then he went back to his house, eight hours away on the other end of the state. Wow. And so, so that was another part of the whole story that made it go so wrong for this young lady, right? Was because this guardian, who was supposed to be looking after her ferrets, and looking after her best, you know, her what was best, her best interests in life, right? He didn't give a shit about her. You just left her in Missoula, Montana, took off. And then he sat in, in his cushy office up in Hill County, for what was it? I don't know, seven years, I think it was seven, eight years, collecting a healthy paycheck from my account each month. And so by the time I got free of all of that, I was so angry, because I was locked in that city of Missoula, Montana for 15 years. And guys, I couldn't go to blind training, there was nowhere for blind adult get any training in the state of Montana. There's a deaf and blind school poor for kids under the age of 18. In Great Falls, Montana. But I was a blind adult. Yes, no Braille, who didn't know how to use a cane, who didn't know anything about accessible technology. So when I joined the NFB, I really took off because I've been looking to succeed for years. And I have a story to tell. And I was just looking for the opportunities. And when I joined in a fee, I found the opportunities and boy I, I fell in love with NFP when I joined it. And, and, and I've been a really big, NFP proponent for years now. I'm a little unhappy with NFP about the way they handle this conventionally went to last month. Yeah, me too. Me too. But the MSP has done a lot of really good things for the blind community and for the disabled community overall.

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And I like how you told the story of gretchin going to her convention in Las Vegas. You were No other details of her arriving at the airport, getting her luggage getting in the car talking to the Uber driver.

I didn't like that to make it more personable, so my readers could connect with it. It's learning about my writing, like, so when you add dialogue into your stories, it really sets them out, and it sets them on fire. Right. And that's one reason you really enjoyed metamorphosis. So I just because I added a lot of dialogue, and a lot of interaction with different people. And and I taught through all of it, like all of the conversations are you learn a lot from reading the different conversations the characters are having, don't you?

Exactly, yes, exactly. Wow.

I think fine. I mean, I, I set out to teach when I started writing. And that's why I'm so excited about metamorphosis. And the bookstore business here that I'm working on right now is because I do I'm able to do so much teaching through these fictional short stories. And, you know, the reason I started writing short stories is because it occurred to me one day that Jesus taught through parables. And, and I wanted to be a teacher. And I thought, I love to read and I got this writing gift. So why not try to write in short story form? Exactly. Characters, you know, and just highlighting them the lessons I'd like my readers to learn, right? And I just feel like I've done really well at it.

Yeah, you've done so well, especially, you know, growing up, you didn't have any accommodations whatsoever. I mean, the fact that, oh, my go into public school and you tripped on the stairs, that was heartbreaking. And to see where you are now, and then you've come so far,

listen. So there have been times in my life where I like waking up from that coma. And then when my parents locked me under that guardianship, you know, those were two times in my life when I didn't know if I was going to be able to go on. But But I was able to reflect back on previous stuff I had overcome, right? And realize I had it in me, right. But I also, like, in metamorphosis, I tried to share with my readers how I also reflected back not only on my own accomplishments, but on the accomplishments of the characters in the Bible, where my faith from right, that's the origin of my faith is the Bible,

the Bible, God's word.

And so through a metamorphosis, I share, you know, pipits of my faith, for example, when Beth green is walking into the courthouse, to start that to start the battle with these lawyers and her parents, she, in her mind, and in her heart, she hears the roaring of lions, lions, similar to what Daniel might have heard when he walked into the lions den and I kind of equate that struggle with Daniel struggle on the lines. And because when Beth was going through that when I was going through that, I was depending on my faith in God, and I was trying to remind myself, God will give me perseverance here he'll give me the ability to do it. All I have to do is have faith like Daniel had, right? And so that's what I'm trying to teach in my doing. Those are the lessons I'm trying to teach through my stories in metamorphosis, and in the book I'm about to publish called still busy staring.

Wow. And what also, what moved me so much in that book is my why am I why am I say favorite stories was a saving Beth Spady when Beth had her second son, and he, Beth had an accident, while in Warren town shopping. A car, hit her finger back, y'all. She was in the car with her friend. And shortly afterwards, it was time for staff to go to the hospital to deliver her baby boy. And he a C section was done. And she came out. He and he stopped bleeding. And then he had to go to ICU. And, thankfully, because of because of the grace of God, you know, and that's hard work. You know, her baby boy was saved at the same time. You know, that we're still fighting that and guardianship battle too.

Yeah. And so and so I'm really pleased that you're paying so much attention to metamorphosis because that's exactly he pretty much just call it an important part of that story right there. Now in my next story, still busy staring I tell the next part of that story. And it's, it's, it's essentially the two things are going on simultaneously, but the next part of A story that I didn't wasn't able to share metamorphosis I really want to share is best experience of being a blind mother. How I want in this next story, this next book I'm about to publish, I share details about how Beth overcomes some of the stuff she comes across as a blind mother like, like, how does, how does she read a thermometer as a blind mother? How does she know when to you know, how does she potty train as a blind mother? Like I literally I had two kids, right? Both of them boys. And I potty trained them as a blind mother, how does a blind mother do that? Well, I give details in there. And, and can't wait to read that. And, and stuff like that, right. And I'm not done with the manuscript yet. And now as I'm sitting here, describing what I talked about in there, I realized that there's a couple other stories I could add into this second part of best story that would make it even better, but, but, and, and I also, um, and all these things are based on stuff I actually experienced, right. And another fun part of that second part, the second part of that story, is I tell the story of how Beth catches her son's foot, to keep him from injuring himself when he falls headfirst over the back of the couch. And in the story, I say, Beth thanked God for using his hand or using her hand to grab her son's foot that day, so he wouldn't fall. Because you guys, I actually experienced that. And there was no way that I could have done that on my own ability, because I was legally blind. And the day that happened, my right hand shot out and grabbed my foot son's foot as he went over the back of the couch. I know it was God, that move my hand that day to grab my son's foot to catch him before he went over the back of the couch. Because my son would have been injured, people would have been like, Oh, she was a blind mother. It's because of her blindness that her son fell over the back of the couch, even though a sighted woman probably would have even had trouble catching their son's foot. And then

it's so inspirational, that you were able to do more. And then we'll get done. Because of the hand of God.

Yeah. And, and throughout the book, though, the characters reflect back on their faith, and how it's helping them persevere in the different situations. Just like I used my faith, faith in God, faith in my country, and faith in myself as a young woman to overcome all of it.

Yes, always have faith. And that's a really

strong theme throughout metamorphosis. And throughout this next book, still busy steering that I'm working on.

Yeah. And also another important item I want to touch on. I mean, of course, we know that the guardianship was solely because of the publicity purposes of money. I mean, did you get did you end up getting that money after some of the lawsuit that was filed against that first doctor, or whatever happened? And also I know,

my readers need to read so you guys need to read my first books. Because you're blind and changing my perspective to get those details. Those details are in those books.

Yeah, I'll definitely leave that. And I want

to encourage you, my your viewers to read my books. I'm not gonna give away those secrets.

Sure, yeah. Yeah. I read metamorphosis, I'll definitely leave the next books. And also, I noticed, I knew that on January of 2012, he will finally set free from that guardianship after reading the Constitution of the United States Title. I know, I know, you're enthralled with the Constitution. You constitution and you you went to the highest courts, and you just you, you, you went by the laws and you were finally freed from that guardianship. I imagine.

Listen, I didn't even have to take it to the highest Court, the Supreme Court I would have did I had I needed to, but when I read the Constitution, I finally read the Constitution. Like I knew in my heart in my mind, that that that information I was reading right in front of me was all I needed to show a judge to say we'll get this you have to let me go because what it says right here? Yes. Because it literally so you guys, listen, the Constitution opens up with these words. All men were created equally by God, and have been endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. And when I read that, I realized that definitely met me as well. Right. And then I continued on I read the First Amendment and the Second Amendment and the third amendment, all the way down through the first 10 amendments, and every one of those and every one of those rights that are their rights or protections are guaranteed to us in those first 10 amendments, every one of them had been violated by that guardianship. And that's when I knew exactly how I would get out of that guardianship. So the next time I went to court, eight years later, it there was no question in my mind that I would win, because literally, my lawyer stood up. And when it was my worst turn to talk, he stood up. And he said, Your Honor, based on the Constitution of the United States of America, and based on on ABMC, Miss Meadows moves that you guys terminate this guardianship and conservatorship because you guys are violating her constitutional rights. And you guys, my husband, my ex husband now because I divorced him, but my husband at the time was sitting right beside me in court, and he was cited. And he told me that it was when my lawyer told the judge that that's exactly when the judges expression change. And when the judge started agreeing with me, when when I had my lawyer point out that my constitutional rights were being violated. And listen to me, you guys, if you're a disabled person watching this, and if you feel like you're being wronged in life, read the Constitution, read those first 10 amendments. And if you have those rights, or or are being violated, then your constitutional rights are being denied you and you have a case, you all you have to do is go to court. And listen, these, there are lawyers out there who will work pro bono, and there are lawyers out there who love a good fight and who love to fight for an underdog, especially an underdog who's in the race. So if you're large under guardianship, just like I said, Read the the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and then go for your intent short to lawyer because these cases are so easy for lawyers to win, because it's it's rich in law. It's it's like, what's the word I'm trying to think of? It's it's only beautiful law, right, that they never argue against the Constitution in a court of law.

Right, exactly.

So So that's why when I went back to court on January 25 2012, I knew I was going to win that time dice. I just knew it because because, like I said to the judge, look, Your Honor, it is written, and it's the same thing. You know, those words it is written, are very powerful. That's why the word of God is very powerful, because it is by God and our Constitution. It is written not only by God, but by the hand of man to the Constitution was, I believe the founders of our country. We're very, we're very, I'm trying to think of the right word inspired by God.

Exactly. They will. And and I do have a couple more questions regarding like, after you got out of a guardianship, one, do you still have you forgiving your parents? Do you still talk to him today? Or how terms there

so so I have four parents. And I always had the theory that I had too many parents. I had four parents, I have a biological mother, and a biological father. And they're both remarried. So I have a stepmother and a stepfather, both of whom have been in my life for as long as I can remember. So there was never a time where I was able to say to any one of the four of them, oh, you have no say here, right? Because you're just my step parent. So I wanted with four parents. All of them wanting to help me, but all of them also completely terrified by what had happened, right. And they were hearing from these doctors who also didn't know what had happened. This all happened in rural Montana, in 1989. I had these these ignorant, equipped, Ill educated doctors, convincing my parents that I was as good as dead. And that might basically bottle feed me and change my diaper and bathe me for the rest of my life. My parents were very angry. And my mother, who was the angriest of all of them, because she gave birth who sued. And the doc and the lawyers that she hired, really knew their stuff. And oh, yeah, there was quite a settlement. And then three years later, this this happened when I was 15 was when the settlement occurred. And I remember I remember those years when those lawyers or the lawsuit, guys, they were taking me to see different doctors, and these doctors were writing tests and These doctors were generating reports. And the lawyers were saving all this stuff up, because this was the evidence they were gonna throw up the game to give them lots of money, right. And so I've watched those lawyers scheming for like years, like, and it was like three years, because I was finally settled when I was 15. But then after that, then the lawyer started screaming against me. Because then it was like, then they started trying to convince me that my life was over and that I wouldn't, I'd be lucky to survive to graduate from high school. And you guys got to believe I believed it. Because listen, because I wasn't allowed to use a cane. I'm falling down, down in snowbanks outside, I was pictured a blind girl walking on snowpack and icy roads up to the bus. And that was my that was really freaking cold out, in the spring thought that I was walking through mud, and ice and water. And you know how often I slipped on that ice that was under the mud and water, and landed in a puddle of water on my way to school or on my way home from school, or doing other things around town.

So much like Tracy slipped into mud, that in the book?

Yes. I mean, it only happens once in the book. But But I tried to tell explain to my readers in the book that this was Tracy's experienced during her whole high school, all four years, is what this is. And that was just getting to school. Imagine, like, in the book, I tried to, like I talked about how tired Tracy is and, and how she hangs her head low as she walks into the school building, right? Because I'm trying to get my readers, my readers who have never been blind, who've never gone to public school, and have never done it without accommodations. I've tried to help them understand what this was doing to this young girl soul. And to her mind, you know, and during this period of time, like this was when the feminists were were yelling about women's rights. And women have a right to be in the army. And women have a right to do this. And women have a right to do that. And women have all these capabilities. And you better believe it. I knew what a woman's capabilities were because I had already overcome a lot of stuff, right? Because I'd survived the brain tumor, and all of that stuff. And I survived the cerebral infraction, and then I came out of the coma. And then they took me home from the hospital before I was done with all my physical and occupational and speech therapy. So I was sent back to school, like, half dead, I really felt like I was half dead all those years. Like in one of my first books, I think it's my very first book, still busy steering, or maybe it's changing my perspective. I talked about how in those early years, I felt like I was dragging around somebody else's body that was too large for me. And I was so tired all the time, because it's having carry around his body that didn't quite fit me. Right, right. And I feel like that was just my well my person starting to come back together because when that cerebral when that not that cerebral infraction, but when that a spinal tap happened, it like it separated. My whole being like, it was like everything became shattered, right? And so I woke up from that coma. Here I am this blind, brain injured, little girl. And they're telling me that my life is over because I'm broken beyond repair. And you guys, I was 12 years old at the time. And I could not accept that. Not just because I'm fairly smart, because before all this happened, but because I'd grown up in America, I and even though I grew up poor, I always tried my hardest at school because I believed that if I did my hardest at school, I could go on to college and do something with my life. But because of what they denied me in high school after all of this, the day I graduated from high school, I couldn't read, write, use a computer proficiently or even a city street. I was so angry

and what you can do now you come so far, long way and I know I mean, if you I guess if if you're not ready to go into this, you know now you don't have to Becca, I know you went through blind emotion training as well. And that's what got you to where you are today.

Yes, but so, but before blind immersion training, I went to traumatic brain injury rehabilitation training in 1997 in Missoula, Montana. And the reason I bring this up is because Sam you know Tamar camera and I've been talking about this and he's been telling me about some of his struggles, and I explained to him that I had some same struggles. And I told him about how I went to my blind or to my traumatic brain injury rehabilitation program in Missoula, Montana in 1997. And that was before I ever even heard of the NFB or ever heard of blind immersion training, right. But because I went to that TBI rehab training that helped me fix my cognitive delays that I was having, by short term memory loss, my attention deficit, my concentration deficit, I had so many cognitive deficits working against me. And I was ill equipped and not ready to go back to, to the public school, when they sent me back to public school. And through the whole, the whole time, I was going through this as a teenager, I was so angry because I saw my life slipping away, I saw my opportunity for an education slipping away. And, and like I said, you guys, I wanted to be a teacher before all this happened. And I was so angry, I was angry at my teachers for that they were letting it happen. I was angry at my parents that they were letting it happen. I was angry at the doctors and lawyers for the for the wrong notions they put in my parents heads them to do this to me. And and then when I was 20 years old, two years after I graduated from high school to same lawyer, the same lawyers who've been in my life for years. So once my mother hired to, to fight the lawsuit, right in the ones who got involved later on those same lawyers that you snuck into court that night with my parents, when they locked me under that guardianship, and the whole, the whole thing smelled, smelled of wrongness to me. And, and, and I just knew what was wrong. But what was I supposed to do that night after they took my constitutional rights away? Pete Robertson, the one that the appointed my guardian, he put me in his car and took me to Missoula on the other end of the state. I didn't know anybody.

That's right. Yeah. You bet you put that in the book. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. And, and so so. So I was completely helpless. But I decided, well, this is where I'm at. Now God has brought me to this point. So I'm going to, to, like do my best with what God has given me. And as it turned out, it was a lot because Peter Robertson put me in the community Bridges Program, which was that TBI rehab program, which is what turned my life round, because those people at the program really wanted to help me get better. So not only did they help me with my brain injury, but they helped me with my blindness. These people got me connected with the local, visual and Visual Services Department in Missoula, where and those people came to me and they gave me a cane, and they taught me to use it. And Shelly coffer, I can say her name, because she's been dead for a long time. But she worked for these people back then. Right, and she was visually impaired. And I remember Shelley used to come to my house, she'd use yellow cab in Missoula to come to my house. And she'd bring these 2020 markers I never even thought of using black markers and, and sticky labels and stuff to mark things in my house. But that's what she taught me to do, because I could see the 2020 markers, because they were dark black and they had a wider tip. Right. Right. So So shall we started installing, shall you and the Visual Services in Missoula was when people got me started thinking about how to make my life accessible for me before that no one had ever like I had never been even been allowed to use a cane. And I was so still stuck in the trauma of it all because I still falling down all the time and stuff. I never even got to start thinking about how to make things work right again, so. So yeah, Visual Services in Missoula and Shelly Kapur and the community Bridges Program there, Missoula. Those were the people who got me started. And then later on, when I left Missoula, I sought out more training. And that's how I wound up going after my blind immersion training. And I've I've talked I talked about that in my next book. So in metamorphosis, Gretchen stone goes to her first NFB convention, but in still busy steering, Gretchen still also goes for her blind immersion training. And so a lot of my readers will find that really interesting, my sighted readers because they probably have no idea what it's like for a blind person going through blind immersion training. And my blind readers will find it fascinating because many of them haven't been through the training. And if they have they'll find it interesting to listen to because like I find just like in metamorphosis, I wasn't humorous at times and, and I taught at times and stuff. Well, I do the same stuff in this next book. And so this next story, Paul register, and this one's called Gretchen gets a clue. In Gretchen gets a Cluj, like I said she goes to her blind immersion training and just like in a Gretsch, the wretch where she has a lot of awesome things happened to her at the NFB convention when she goes to a blind immersion training A lot of other awesome things happened to her. And she learns a lot of great things of ourselves once again. So I really encourage your listeners and your viewers to stay tuned for my next book still be steering and they should definitely go check out metamorphosis in the meantime.

Definitely. And now all those books are available on Audible. And everywhere else you can get books, right? So

there you go, Oh, my books are all three of my books that are out right now. They're all three on Audible. And they're all on Amazon print on demand. And you can also get them on like digital downloads, so. So if you want the cheapest, it's the digital download. If you're looking for access, the most accessible it's the audible. So

great, great, great. And, Tyler, if you want to talk if you want to mention tobacco. Tell us what we'll we've been working on together because we're doing we're writing. We're writing something similar along her line. So I want you

What are you guys working on?

We're writing a memoir together, mostly about our lives we've ever.

Tyler, how long have you been blind? Since birth?

So salad and get this? Get this one both? Me and him. Him and I have the both? Like Kim and I both have the same retinal condition. Both of us to

grow up together in school.

We met at Steve, we we met we met at Stephen F. Austin State University. We met as GAVI eight years to September light Thailand that we know. last few years. That's cool. Oh, yeah.

So Tyler, you should come on my show the blind view from nine. Oh,

yeah, absolutely.

Have you looked at my YouTube channel at all?

Never heard of, you know, well. Oh, no, no, I haven't. I haven't told him about you until like it just recently. But no worries that guy if you want. If you don't mind, I can send him I can send him your inflammation.

Yeah. Can you send him my information that he could give me a call later and we can talk about because I'd like to see if I can get him on the blank view. Yeah, yeah. Camera and everybody else.

So we'll do Yeah.

Okay. I'm just a I'm just a mason lunch. I had a couple of El Monterrey burrito. Pretty good stuff.

Yeah. And so yeah. So we have arrived and then wired together about our lives and because get this word. We're even though we're not Glover's, but like, right, we're almost black. Yeah, here. Yeah. Yeah. And, of course, he was born in 1991. I was born in 93. And but we both saw the same doctor, Dr. Tracy in Detroit. I of course, like, you know, I was born here in Texas. He was born in East Louisiana. But like we saw, we saw the st. We will live flying to Detroit to see the same doctor to have our highs collected in Raleigh. Yep. Yeah. Because we have the vision what we have today.

And yeah, he has like he has a little bit of vision. I have like perception. Yeah, he has very little vision and what exactly like another some

of you having interview heard about this stem cell stuff?

Yes, we did. Yes. And I doctor who I was seeing growing up. He meant he mentioned to me my parents about the stem cell stuff. But it hasn't progressed as hoped. Basically, it's, it's kind of been off the table.

When was last time you look into it sailor?

Well,

because listen, I'm I'm right now I've been spending the summer getting tests done from the bet this neural neurologist is ordering because I'm preparing to see this other doctor about getting that done to fix my brain to fix my eyes.

Well, maybe we'll maybe stay.

And listen, listen, one of the tests that let me tell you about some of the tests this guy has been doing on me. One of the tests he did was like, he was like, he needed to know that my, my optic nerve in my brain was still working, right? Like, I remember he, he he saw he Well, it was it was when he did the electrical test on my brain I think if I remember correctly, first we did we put all these electrodes on my brain. And I passed like they couldn't find that they couldn't find any any misfires in my brain anymore. And I used to have a lot of problems with the aegs right. That was the first really big thing but the other thing that they did was they They shone a bright light in my eyes and both of my eyes reacted like watering and and stuff like that. So my eyes were reacting to light. And the doctor was very excited by all these results because it showed him that my brain is still functioning Third, there are still some circuits working in there. And so they, they can fix it using the stuff, right. And since you both have light perception, that means you guys probably have some functioning in your brains as well, that very well might be able to be fixed with this stuff

it could see, but you see, our condition is different than yours. Yours. Yeah, you guys have been my mind is also our retinas, our retinas detach? So I mean, I did see, I did see my doctor, my eye doctor here in Houston, about a year ago, and I did ask if there was anything else on the table to improve my vision? And he says, No, not at this point, which, you know, which in reality? I don't mind, I'm okay. Because

sailor, let me tell you, doctors aren't all made the same. They don't have all the knowledge, all the same training all this access to the same information. But I can tell you this, because even with these neurologists, right, I've seen two neurologists in the last month. Right. And the first one was Dr. Kumar, the one that I've been seeing, he's been doing these tests, right. But in the meantime, my doctor has also wanted me to see this other neurologist. And so I saw this other neurologist, I just asked him why the scene is like, so are you aware of the stem cell medicine? And can you and he's like, No, I haven't heard of it. And he's like, Well, they were like, men. So so like he had heard about the stem cell medicine, but the first neurologist had, and the reason I went with the first neurologists over the two neurologists, when my doctor mentioned them, both to me, is because I was pretty sure I'd heard of the first neurologist. Because when I went online and did the research for the for this, I kind of think he might have been one of the doctors that was mentioned in one of the reports I read. So so just just because one doctor hasn't heard of it, I encourage you to go online and research Saylor. And you know, what, if you're really interested anyway, the fact that you ever been blind your whole life, though you might not really be interested. I've my other friends who've been blind their whole life? And I'm like, No, we're not interested in that. I understand that. Because up until recently, I didn't really think like I've been saying, for years, I didn't care anymore about getting my sight back, right. I like in the last few months that if this happens, if this happens, this is going to be able, I'm going to be able to come and become an even better advocate than I already am. And I'm going to be able to improve at everything I'm doing. My YouTube videos are going to become better, my writing is going to become better. My public speaking is going to become better. My advocacy, not only for my disabled, the disabled community, but for my American people as overall because it's going to become better, right? Yeah. And my ability to study is going to become so much better. That's why in med or instability, speaking, busy stirring the book I'm writing right now. One of the stories is called the accident. And that's in there, I talked about the accident and how it happened and what I experienced. Right, right, and then talked about how I use my faith to overcome all of it. Yes. Which isn't that I lost my train of thought here. Now what primer was talking to say?

Yeah, so but in so busy staring I'm talking about, about how, how I've used my faith all these years for all this stuff. And, and you got, I have to tell you, the way the way everything's been happening the last well, my whole life, but but then the last 33 years, but then again, especially the last three years since I opened my company, and started really working towards what I felt like God was calling me to do right, like I've been writing like crazy. I've been working on improving my writing, and I've been working on improving my speaking. And, and, and stuff right and and now I'm Gina and I are getting ready to launch our first movie, right? And yes, so we have all these projects we're working on. And now Now I find out that I can probably get my vision back. So I've been thinking last few months. I don't think it's so so I get my vision back. What do I do then? Do I go to college and become something and pretend that blind people don't exist? Of course I can't. Of course I have to continue being an advocate. Yes. So and so many of CG. You know what, I've been working together for three years, right? And we're about to launch our first movie, but we have several other movie projects that we're going to be working on. And many of them are inspirational movies like blue butterfly, our first movie is going to be an inspirational movie, right? Right. So I figure when I get my sight back, I'm just gonna use it up I'm even better at all of these projects God has called me to do right? That's right. Like I'll be able to help Gino in a different way with with making the movies like I've been. Well, first of all, I've been the financier of all of this right. So I definitely have a say so. But through all of this, like Gina has been asking my opinion and including me on stuff from the beginning, because I told them I didn't want to just hire him to make a movie for me. I wanted to learn about the process. Exactly. It's been cool. Yeah. All along. And, and it's been a really fascinating experience. And now we're into the well, we're in pre production right now. Is that what it's called? It's a pre production or the pre pre production. I don't remember what it's called before pre production, but we're just trying to get a couple more financiers on board. And then we're gonna go into go into creation of the movie because Geno's got, I think he's got all of his tools created. Now. If you guys have time, I can tell you about a couple of the tools he's created. They're quite fascinating. Sure, yeah. Go Go, go. Go how a movie is on is just going right? Yes. Well, yeah. I'm trying to give you man, I'll probably remember what it's called, while I'm telling you about. Gina has created this thing, which is, so he wrote the script for the movie, right? First, he wrote the script. And then he tore the script up. And then he rewrote the script. And then him and his friends in his writing group, they all work to get it perfect. And once their script was at once everybody agreed this group was perfect. Then we we go into, like getting ready to go into production. But before we go into production, we have to get all the finances on board. So what we've done since first we got the script done, and now we've got I did I have the budget done. And I which means I know exactly what the whole thing will cost, right. And we got the schedule than the schedule for filming. Which means we know down to that down to the day, how many days it will take us from beginning to end to shoot this movie. That's how filmmakers do it professionally. Like it's not just, for example, when I set out to write my first book, I didn't know anything about ready books. So my first book was pretty, pretty hankie, right? Because you're blind. I'm not very proud of the writing job I did on that. But later books are much better, right? Well, since I because God brought a real professional into my life to help me with this. Our first movies getting done professionally. So we've been doing all these things. And so we have scheduled out so our it's gonna be 25 days once we go into production, and we're waiting to get some other some other executive producers on board before we go into production. But in the meantime, Gina has been producing tools that will we're going to use to approach other executive producer to see if they want to join us on our project, right. And one of them is where he so he wrote the script. And then instead of instead of the whole thing being filmed,

he creates it. What he does is select for one of the scenes. Well, several scenes take place in the courthouse in a courtroom, right. So for the courtroom scenes, he went online to like other movies, right. And he takes scenes out of other movies and stuff and creates like a collage. You know what I mean? He created like, I wish I could remember what he calls it. It's like a slideshow of the movie, except there's not invoices and stuff. And there's not actual actors. It's like, like, it's pictures from other movies and stuff, doing the same thing. It's just a creative tool that, that he learned to help promote movies, right? To find answers on stuff, right. And he's been producing, like, I think he's pretty three or four of these little tools, or he's been working on them. Right. And so this is a process we've been working on for three years. And you know, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a great movie. And that's quote in one of my books.

Wow.

I think I'm changing my

I can't I can't wait for your movie to come out. I can't wait to actually see it. And so um, wow. So

the thing is, so once the director can share his vision with other directors and other executive producers, cuz then when other directors come on board and other executive producers, then we have their skills and talents to use as well as their everything they bring to the table. Right. And that's, that's where we're at right now. But one of the tools we're one of the tools we're creating for this is something that Gina was calling. Give me a minute It's a trailer. It's an investor trailer. I think he's calling it it's a trailer have you know, you know, when you see a trailer for a movie when when you see like you see a preview for a movie on TV, right? That's a trailer that shows scenes from the movie, right? But we haven't created the movie yet. But what Gino is creating he sees is he's creating a trailer to show potential investors to get them excited about our, our project. So they'll come on board and and do this with us. Right. And so right now we're preparing to film this trailer. And it's a court scene. It's a scene from the movie. But it's Gino has some really unique ideas like, I love love, love, love, love his ideas, right? He's totally embraced calling this blue butterfly after, like, I mean, that's the whole point of it. Right? And, and he. So this, this, this investment trail that he is that we're going to film, he's going to try to film it from my perspective. And when I say from my perspective, I don't mean the perspective of a woman. I mean, the perspective of a legally blind person who has a narrow field of vision, whose vision is blurry, and similar to that of looking through the bottom of a coke bottle,

right, exactly. Oh, yeah. So he's really

excited because when he does the trailer, he's going to use all these tricks to kind of catch the attention of the investors and pull them in to the story right away and realize, wait a minute, this woman's blind, why is she on trial here? Right, wow. And so that's what one of the tools and that's like one of four or five tools that he's been creating in the last couple of years, right, in preparation for us to start approaching investors to help us. So see, this is what I'm saying is making a movie is a real, it's a professional process. And there's lots of pieces to it. Um, and so anyway, that's just where we're at on it right now. And so I expect that we'll be going into production of the movie in the next few months, and what sort he wants to film in New Mexico. And he's, he's got certain, there's, like, there's, I think, three or five leads in the movie, let me see there's, there's, there's gonna be a 28 year old version of me in the movie, there's gonna be a teenage version of me in the movie, there's going to be my mother. So I'm playing my mother in the movie, someone playing Pete Robertson in the movie. And so I'm playing the judge, those are the five leads and

how you selecting cast the characters, how you doing that?

I am not selecting the cast, the director is selecting the cast. There is there is a there, he isn't even selecting the whole cast himself. What he does is he's going to let a professional casting director, I don't think he's decided on which casting director we're going to use yet. But he's been telling me that he's been talking to a few of them. And he's been talking to them because as the director, he has certain certain looks in mind for different parts, right? Because he wants with not only looks but sounds like he wants people to sound articulate, or he wants them to sound flourish, right. For example, I really hope this I think the scenes still in the movie this the scripts been through several versions, right, several different changes. In one of the versions, there was a scene where Pete Robertson, who is the evil guardian in the movie, where he's in a bar drinking it up, and he gets a phone call from his ward, and he's very abusive to her on the phone and he's slurring his words and stuff over the phone to her. Do you know how many times I was on the phone with my guardian and he was slurring his words because he was drunk

tonight, and I think that's

so so that's why that scenes in the movie, at least I need to verify with Gino it made it to the final cut. But it wasn't one of the earlier versions, right? And then listen, I know this scene didn't make it to the final cut. But I'm gonna tell you a scene that was in there with one of the original versions of the script that you guys are gonna laugh. So one of the original versions of the script, there's a scene with my mother. It's a scene of my mother smoking a joint in our living room. And it's a funny scene is what it is because in the movie, it shows my mother going through spec stress and then it shows her smoking a joint to relieve her stress. Right, right. And now as an adult and being a weed smoker myself looking back I think my mom probably was smoking weed when all this was going on, right because it was so traumatic for all of us. So when when when do you put that in one of the early versions of the script, I laughed my ass Ah,

wow. And

so I don't I'm pretty sure that st didn't make it to the final cut. But those are the sorts of funny things that we add to the story to make it like, like, what's the word? I'm trying to think up to make a movie worthy. You know what I mean? To make it interesting. So,

wow, that's, well, I can't wait until that movie comes out. It's so bad.

I said, Listen. So this thing just happened to me though. Do you guys know who Britney Spears is?

Yes. Yeah, of course. she I think she had conservatorship for a while and I think

she was locked under a guardian slips guardianship slash conservatorship for 13 years. I was locked in her mind for 15 years. But it was the exact same thing. She had lawyers and her parents robbing her and abusing her. Like those lawyers, lawyers, they were forcing her to take drugs, mind altering drugs, and then they convince the court that she had a nervous breakdown. And that's how they locked her under the guardianship. Right? Wow, all of these people have taken all these drugs and stuff for years too. So unless you so Britney Spears shaved her head, right? Well, in my neck, I shaved my head too, when I was locked under my guardianship just like Britney Spears did. And I tell the story in this next book, still busy staring because I get it when I was in the community Bridges Program. So I tell that story. First two, a penny commerce story in this next book.

I can't wait easily that next book, it's gonna be great.

And it's just one of those many stories. I tell them this next book. But, but yeah, and so and, and I tell. And so my readers will be able to connect with these stories just like they were able to in metamorphosis.

I know you're limited on time. Have we all limited on time. But to close out? What advice do you have to my listeners is because you are an inspiration. And that's what the theme is about?

Furniture. I encourage your listeners to go up and read metamorphosis. It's metamorphosis, a short story collection by Rebecca s Meadows. It's on Audible Kindle, and Amazon print on demand. And my next book, still busy, steering will be coming out and then probably by the end of the year, probably look forward around December. Okay.

All right. And but, but I know, I know, you want them to read your books, which is awesome.

You should also check out my YouTube channel Becca's world? Yes. And put new videos out on that on my channel once or twice a week these days. So what were you saying? Taylor?

I know you want people to read your books. It's awesome. I'll definitely spread the word. But as far as what advice do you have a long life what you know, for someone who's is who's having struggles, you know, facing challenges, since since DACA, you went through so much. So what advice do you have, you know, to keep going what? How can you face it?

Here's here's something that I've written in my next book that I'm working on. And so first of all, I want to encourage your viewers or your listeners to go on to Becker's World Vision my YouTube channel and check out my videos. And if you liked them, please hit the subscribe button. And please share my videos with your friends and tell your friends and family about my videos. But the one piece of advice that I have is one thing I wrote in my next book in the store, I think I wrote it in the accident. Pretty sure that's where I wrote it is I wrote that the way I overcame everything that I've overcome is because I had faith. I had faith in God, faith in my country and faith in myself. And that's all that I needed. And that's all any of us really need. And so if I can leave your listeners with one important thing, that's my message is have faith in yourself.

Yes. Like, I like how you mentioned God in the book. And also, you mentioned our country and it's so awesome. You, you. You, myself and Tyler were on the same page. We believe in our country and we are conservatives have a way for a giveaway.

Yes.

I love President Trump. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, this is coming from someone who used to not like him who wanted to slay but then wanted Trump. Yeah.

So I left my husband in August of 2016. Right. And then, three months later, as I was casting my vote for President Trump, I remember how weird it was. Because everybody was saying, oh, President Trump is a womanizer. Sir, and President Trump is anti woman. But I knew I knew that he was going to be the best president for all of us. Proud, I was proud to vote for President Trump in 2016. Against that, Hey, me, too. Hey, Hillary Clinton. And, and I was excited to vote for him in 2020. And Carol, because I know President Trump is not a womanizer, and he's not anti women. And he's not anti anti any of that stuff. The Democrats are all of those things. So listen, guys, if you want to know who's really bad guys are paying attention to all this stuff. The Democrats accused President Trump of all the stuff they accused him of was all the shit they were doing. Every other accusation is President Trump and his family or his friends or his team, every single time. Next thing, you know, somebody in the Democrat Party was being found guilty or being caught using trump up, and it was so ridiculous.

Yeah. And just keep fighting. And I know, I know, he's gonna win again. 2024 I watched his rally in Wisconsin last night. It was drones again.

Yeah. So I'm sure I'm not the only woman who who was honored and excited to vote for him in 2016. Right. Like, I liked my husband a few months before that. I was definitely a an independent woman, right. I was definitely not kissed and asked to men at the time, right. I was very, with my husband, and I was disillusioned with men. And so so a lot of people would have thought, well, you should have gone for Hillary Clinton in 2016 men. But dude, that lady is such a head for her man. So I was honored, honored to vote for President Trump in 2016. Because I know he stands up for women's rights, because he has rights. And women are Americans.

Yes, they are, and go back at you. You've fought so hard to get your rights and get all that guardianship and I can we cannot be proud of you.

I know. I know when people are lying. And when people are trying to deceive, especially in these sorts of situations. Do you know how many years I dealt with lawyers, and doctors and case managers and all these professionals who are scheming against me and lying to me behind the scenes. They all talk to say when all these Democrats talk?

Yes, of course. Of course. Oh, wow. So yeah, just thanks so much for that advice. That guy for my listeners, just have faith and just keep persevering. Yeah. And I know we're proud to be in the greatest country ever, right?

Absolutely. Yeah. God

bless America. God bless President Trump. Yeah,

absolutely.

And God bless all of us. So God bless. You guys don't for now.

Well, thanks so much for being on hope without sight, Becca.

Yeah, thanks for having me today. And please check out my YouTube channel back as well. Please check out my books. My first book is because you're blind. My second book is changing my perspective. My third book is metamorphosis and I'm currently working on changing my or I'm currently working on still busy steering and my name is Rebecca s Meadows.

Give it Up for Rebecca Meadows everybody.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Hope Without Sight with Saylor Cooper and Tyler Evans and got a lot of takeaways from this podcast. We hope you feel renewed, inspired and encouraged. Like you can just carry on and conquer the world.

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