If you have the will, the determination to succeed, you can be whatever you want to be, no matter the obstacles that may be in your path.
~Nigel Hector
Editor’s Note
At Bold Blind Beauty, much work goes into showcasing encouraging individuals. We search for uplifting stories, schedule interviews, and edit videos, transcripts, and captions before uploading them to platforms like YouTube and WordPress. This can be a daunting task, but this month’s Man In Motion feature wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our intern, Jadon Lau. He found our guest and saw the project through to publication.
A quick word about Nigel, an extremely humble person. A naturally born survivor, his singing is a must-see on Instagram, as his voice is incredibly silky smooth. Now, let’s introduce Nigel Hector, as written by Jadon.
Nigel Hector is a Jamaican-born soulful singer who expresses himself candidly and works to advocate for human rights. It is an honor to feature him for our Men in Motion segment this summer–but let’s be honest, it feels more like fall. Enjoy! ~Jadon Lau
Beyond Sight Magazine Cover
YouTube Video
A Born Survivor
Hi, my name is Nigel Hector, and I’d like to start off by saying thank you to Bold Blind Beauty for having me be a part of their Men in Motion series. Now, my journey with Blindness has been a lifelong journey. I was born premature, five months and two weeks. And even before I exited the womb, the doctors had pronounced me stillborn.
I was birthed, and while I was about to be carried off to the morgue, I cried out and was rescued post haste. I was incubated for three months and the doctors, they still had their doubts. They still thought I wasn’t going to make it.
So my eyes were not covered while I was in the incubation chamber. And as a result of that, the light in the incubator burnt out all the oxygen in my retina. I was discharged, taken home by my mother and family members.
Totally Blind At 6 Months
When I was about six months old, my mother and family members, they noticed that my eyes had a glossy look to them. So they took me back to the hospital and I was diagnosed. My parents, they were told I was totally blind.
Now my early childhood years, they weren’t different from any other young child growing up, everything was pretty normal. I lived pretty normally I lived a normal life. I played with all the kids in the neighborhood. I didn’t feel left out or ostracized. I did all the things little children would do, gave all the trouble they would give.
I actually started school at a very young age to around two and a half to three years old. I was very eager to learn. And I was sent to a proprietary institution in Montego Bay, Jamaica where I’m from.
See the thing is though, in Montego Bay, Jamaica and many parts of Jamaica, the people they don’t really know how to facilitate blind and visually impaired individuals. But they try. And while at this institution, I remember vividly the teachers, they would use construction paper and apply sand and glue to the paper to make letters and numbers so I could use my fingers and trace as a means of keeping up with the rest of the kids in the class, interacting being involved, being a part of the lessons. But as I already said, I was very eager to learn. I wanted to know more.
Thirst For Learning
So my mother started looking around to see if there were other institutions in Jamaica that would facilitate me, facilitate my learning, facilitate my growth and development. and she stumbled upon The Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Children that’s located in Kingston. I was sent there, I boarded at the institution, and that was where I learned a lot of independent life skills such as, how to make a bed or how to tie shoelaces, et cetera, et cetera. And I even learned braille there. That was where I began my schooling and did a majority of my schooling.
I then transitioned from there when I was older to a traditional high school in Jamaica and in those high schools, they don’t all know how to, to facilitate blind and visually impaired children. So it was up to me to show them the ropes. I acclimated pretty well. I performed excellently there. But a few years into high school in Jamaica, I migrated to the US and finished high school here.
After that I transitioned to university, I’m currently attending Stony Brook University. And I am double majoring in History and Political Science with concentrations in US History, law, government, and public policy. And I’m performing well there as well.
But alongside that, I am also a recording artist. Yes, an upcoming celebrity. I firmly believe that adversity builds character and there is nothing that’s impossible to do. If you have the will, the determination to succeed, you can be whatever you want to be, no matter the obstacles that may be in your path. Thank you.
Nigel’s Bio
Greetings! My name is Nigel Hector. I am a recording artist and a current student at Stony Brook University double majoring in US history and political science. I believe any dream is achievable, as long as one puts their all into achieving it. Nothing is impossible and no obstacles to great to overcome, regardless of one’s circumstances.
Connecting With Nigel
- Instagram @nigyboyagain
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Image Descriptions:
- The header, Beyond Sight Magazine Cover, and YouTube Thumbnail are identical shots of Nigel standing outdoors casually dressed in jeans, a graphic sweatshirt and jacket. Text on the cover reads “Beyond Sight August 2023 | Men In Motion | Nigel Hector.”
- The video is a headshot of Nigel who is outside wearing a polo shirt.