By Cecelia Campbell Livingston
Cheryl Waugh Steer, in the midst of mourning for her daughter, 18-year-old Danielle Chrisalite Milton, who from birth had cerebral palsy, was also lauded for the selfless care she bestowed on her.
Danielle was given less than a year to live by doctors, but Waugh Steer was blessed with the opportunity to enjoy 18 years, 11 months, and 10 days with her daughter before she succumbed to her illness.
Bishop William D. Hutchinson, in his message during Danielle’s funeral, had nothing but accolades for the dedicated mother, who he said caught his eyes from the minute he started pastoring the Miracle Tabernacle Free Town Church of God of Prophecy in Clarendon.
“I watched you as I came in bearing your daughter into this church; from the very first day I came by, I reached over to the person nearest to me and I said, “How old is that child and was she challenged from birth? And I got the answer,” he shared.
Hutchinson highlighted that regardless of the challenges Steer faced, she never left her daughter’s side, nor did she let her seem like a burden.
“She carried her with great delight; I saw and felt the love she had for her,” he said to loud applause from those in the audience.
Pearline Bernard, who was her caregiver from about age one until she got too big for her to manage, said Danielle was special in every way. Although she had cerebral palsy and could not articulate her needs, she said they built up a bond, and she had a way of getting her point across effectively!
“She was not a cry baby; she loved company. When I talked to her, she smiled.
I spoke with her, and she responded in her own way. When feeding time comes, you have to understand how to feed her. If the food is not up to her taste buds, she will show it,” she related.
Danielle was not short on love, and it was manifested during the eulogy, where her father’s words showed he would have done anything for his daughter to have a normal life.
After she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, he took her to the specialist and asked the doctor if there was a procedure where he could give part of his brain to help his daughter.
“They fought the battle with her—the ups and downs, the many visits to the hospitals to see specialists and doctors—sometimes money was an issue,” read the eulogy.
Although not able to talk, Danielle was baptised a few years ago, and as Bishop Hutchinson stated, “She made a step in the right direction and although she was not able to vocally express herself, she did so emotionally.”
Speaking with the Freedom Come Rain newspaper, after the thanksgiving service, an emotional Cheryl said in the midst of her sadness she had to give credit to her husband Radcliff Steer who championed the cause of giving tender care to Danielle.
“He drove her to school, picked her up, took care of her and stood in the gap when I couldn’t be there. No one watching his dedication would ever think that she wasn’t his biological child,” she said.
The emptiness is there, but she is thankful she did everything to make her daughter’s short time on earth as comfortable as she could.
