Bermudian Sherrie Lynn Lilley had just lost the last of her sight to a degenerative retinal disease, when her husband of 30 years walked out on her. They had five children between the ages of 2 and 17. Fourteen years later the mental health counsellor calls her husband leaving “an amazing blessing”.

“It really propelled me into making some decisions about my life,” the 56-year-old said. “I had these amazing little people that I needed to raise.”

At 43 and fully blind, she went to university for the first time, earning a bachelor’s and master’s in psychology and counselling. She came top of her class for both degrees.

“If my husband had not left, I am not sure I would be doing what I am doing now,” she said.

Ms Lilley has a mental health practice in Bermuda, and also works as an independent contractor with the Centre Against Abuse and the Women’s Resource Centre. She is also a minister.

“My voice is shared in many different ways, but a lot of the messages cross,” she said.

That message is one of inspiration and empowerment.

She is rapidly building a reputation as a motivational speaker, using her own life challenges and achievements to inspire others.

The Royal Gazette spoke to her shortly before she gave a speech at the Egi women’s conference in Barbados called Blooming Together. ‘Egi’ is a stylised version of edgy. The conference coincided with International Women’s Day on March 8. This year’s theme was levelling up.

Ms Lilley’s speech will be called Becoming Your Extraordinary Self.

She met the conference founder and creator, Gina Cummins, at a retreat she spoke at last February.

“From that retreat, she reached out and asked if I would come and speak at her conference which she has every year around this time,” Ms Lilley said.

Ms Lilley is not bothered by speaking in front of a large crowd.

“The only time I’m ever nervous is if I know I’m not adequately prepared,” she said. “What I feel is more anticipation.”

She is good at reading a room. “Sighted people do that by walking in and observing people’s faces,” she said. “For me, I’m feeling the energy in the room.”

Ms Lilley uses notes to prepare. “It is much more tedious for me to try to use a display or Braille,” she said. “I memorise key points, because I want to make sure I hit those. The rest just flows.”

If even one person walks away saying they are going to do something different with their life she says she feels it was worth it.

Doctors diagnosed retinitis pigmentosa at 14. She was born with the disease but the symptoms did not fully show up until her teen years. Before that there were subtle signs, like being completely unable to see in the dark.

RP is a genetic disorder that causes the retina’s light-sensitive cells to gradually degenerate, resulting in progressive vision loss. One of her children also has it.

At first, her reaction was a mixture of shock and denial.

“I was at Warwick Academy,” she said. “I did not believe that I was really going blind because I felt like my vision was pretty normal. It was not, but we adapt sometimes without realising we are adapting.”

At age 17 she was declared legally blind, but was not completely blind until 42.

In that time, she drove a motorcycle like most other Bermudian teenagers and drove a car for a long while living in the US.

She is at the conference in Barbados with Bermudian songwriter and singer Janita Burke and urologist Oneeka Williams.

At the conference, Ms Burke has teamed up with urologist Oneeka Williams to create an anthem to go with her keynote address called Levelling Up.

• To learn more, go to pneumabermuda.com/