News Article: A ‘Bright Light,’ Dimmed in the Shadows of Homelessness

AUDub · Mar 3, 2018

Probably the saddest thing you'll read today. A promising life laid low by mental illness.

By Benjamin Weiser

March 3, 2018
They met on a rainy morning several years ago, at the base of the Helmsley Building in Midtown Manhattan. As others hurried to work, Pamela J. Dearden, an executive with JPMorgan Chase, noticed a woman, unperturbed by the rain or her surroundings, standing on a 36-square-foot sidewalk grate she had chosen as her home.

Ms. Dearden, known to everyone as P.J., offered her umbrella to the woman, who took it and thanked her.

A friendship blossomed. P.J. would often stop to talk with the woman, who sat amid shopping bags, books, food containers and a metal utility cart. P.J. admired her hardiness, but also her smile, her soft features and her humor. If the woman was sleeping or talking loudly to herself, P.J. held back, but other times she engaged her in short conversations, which could go into unexpected places.

The woman’s name was Nakesha Williams. She said she loved novels, and they discussed the authors she was reading, from Jane Austen to Jodi Picoult. She and P.J. chatted as time allowed, or until Nakesha veered into topics that hinted at paranoia: plots and lies against her. Yet, P.J. realized she knew little about Nakesha, and she wondered about her past.

seebell · Mar 3, 2018

"There but for the Grace of God, go I"

Crimson1967 · Mar 3, 2018

Sad, but what can you do? At least a dozen people reached out to help her, even taking her into their home. But she ran away every time.

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4Q Basket Case · Mar 3, 2018

The bright light was dimmed by mental illness, not homelessness.

Homelessness was a symptom, not the problem.

It’s a lot easier to fix homelessness than it is to fix a sick mind. Meds can help, but that’s just something even the best medicine can’t reliably cure.

gtowntide · Mar 5, 2018

A lot of people tried to help her but her mental illness over powered her. I just pray for all the Nakeshas out there and hope they find help.

Thanks for posting AUDub.

day-day · Mar 5, 2018

A little silver lining is that she seemed happy and doing what she wanted to do.

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News Article: A ‘Bright Light,’ Dimmed in the Shadows of Homelessness

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