The tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997 may have saved the life of University of Memphis student, Robin Warren.
“There I was, planning to take my life and Princess Diana was dead,” she said. Warren decided not to give up.
In 1994, Warren lost her eyesight. Today she is a senior honor student in the communications department. The path to this triumphant finale was not an easy one.
The physical, emotional and sexual abuse that led to her suicidal decision began with her first sexual assault at the age of 5, (continuing throughout her teenage years) and remained a secret into adulthood. The sexual abuse came, not from her father, but from other “men.” Warren was very attractive and thought men liked her simply because she was Robin. These men realized she had a low self-esteem and they used it against her. Warren said she mistook the abuse for the love and attention she desperately desired.
Her continual battle against her weight was made worse by the emotional and mental abuse from her father. He was a violent man who Warren described as a “rolling stone.” Instead of encouraging her to diet, he made hurtful comments that made Robin feel even worse about herself. Her mother died before Robin could share the horror of her sexual abuse, Warren said.
At the age of 18, Warren gave birth to a baby girl, Rachel. This child would eventually be an encouraging point in Warren’s life. Rachel has continually been the inspiration Warren needed to continue the life she thought so many times about taking.
None of her previous obstacles could compare with the loss of her eyesight in 1994 at the age of 31.
“Overcoming the other problems in my life were minor compared to losing my sight. It really threw me for a loop,” Warren said.
Over the summer of 1994, Warren’s body produced too much spinal fluid. Pressure from this fluid built up to such a point that it abruptly damaged her optic nerve. She was hospitalized for over a month during which time she had three surgeries. None were successful. She completely lost sight in one eye and could only see light and colors with the other.
Coincidentally, her mother had just died from lung cancer months before. All this weighed deeply on Warren until she fell into a deep depression. She was no longer the independent woman Rachel and others knew her to be. She was suddenly unable to work, drive, cook or go out with friends. While hospitalized, a friend asked her to give herself six months to adjust after she told him she “just wanted to give up.” Those six months came and went. Nothing changed.
No one wanted to help her, including her three brothers. Warren said she felt alienated by her family and friends because she now was dependent upon them. This caused her to decide she would indeed commit suicide. Her only concern was who would look after Rachel.
“I decided when Rachel turned 20, I would end my life,” Warren said.
However, the tragic death of Princess Diana saved Warren’s life. Robin was upset Diana’s children were left with out a mother and her life was taken so suddenly not of her own choice. Robin decided she did have a choice. She immediately began to take steps to control her own life.
Warren taught Rachel, who was 13 at the time, how to drive. Rachel got a hardship drivers license and Warren enrolled at the University of Memphis. She knew a college education could provide stability and a future for them. She wanted to give both Rachel and herself a chance to have a better life. Rachel had been placed in resource classes in the third grade for being slow. Once it became necessary for her to help her mother, she suddenly matured, Warren said. Because Rachel had to read to her mom, her own reading improved. She was put back in regular classes. Rachel took on a lot of additional responsibility and somewhat lost her childhood. In many ways, she began to act as the mother and Robin as the daughter. People often confuse them as sisters and they are best friends, Warren said.
Warren’s education has been a success thanks to The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1976. In this act, provisions through computer technology and guide dogs aid the blind in their educational pursuits. Furthermore, she has the option to receive disability benefits and insurance until she finishes school. The University is required to assist her with any accommodations she may need to complete her degree. This includes readers, writers, note takers and extra time on tests. She uses computers that read back to her and books on tape. Robin says she would not give up the equipment even if she regained her sight.
Five years ago, Echo came into Warren’s life. Echo is a 6-year-old golden lab that had been trained for four years as a guide dog. Warren did not care for dogs before she lost her eyesight, but she has grown to love and depend on Echo.
Warren has changed in the way she sees situations and people. For example, she did not like homosexuals or Hispanics before she lost her eyesight. But, now she says that people have their own choices in life, and they should not be judged by race, color or sexual preference.
The loss of her eyesight has given Warren the skills to survive in a world that is reluctant to accept her because she has Echo. Her family and friends are afraid of Echo, some stores don’t like letting a big dog inside even though the law requires them to do so, Warren said. Even with Echo’s help, Warren still bumps into a few walls now and then.
Although, Warren did not have good grades in high school, she now has a 3.8 grade point average. She will graduate from the University of Memphis in May with a degree in communications. Robin is one person who can testify to life’s ups and downs.
“I caught all the curve balls and landed on my feet,” Warren said.
