Nadean turning trauma into purpose

Though psychology attracted her attention from a young age, circumstances led her into the field of finance.

And there she remained for 15 years.

That professional desire was born out of a drive to help others, particularly women, whom she saw as more vulnerable, added to her own life experiences.

However, the need to generate income was “real” so Nadean Alleyne opted to hold on to the first job she landed, which turned out to be at a financial institution.

But nothing prepared her for an incident that could have ended her career and her life in an instant.

The institution had lost a colleague the previous Monday and Nadean was taking the death very hard, cognisant that only time could heal the pain.

However, 48 hours later, a fate would befall her that would so intensely rock her world that it permanently altered her outlook on life.

That Wednesday morning, as Nadean left home, she had forgotten her rosary so she hurried back inside to get it.

On reaching the office, as if having a premonition of her fate, she recalled saying to two of her seniors, “Let me show you all my progress, because, God forbid, if anything happens to me, this is where you would find [everything]”.

Moments later, as she was discussing a matter on the phone and wearing the rosary, a panicked worker rushed in and alerted her that there was “trouble” on the outside.

Call the police

Nadean repeated twice to the person on the phone to call the police.

She recalled seeing a colleague standing in front of her door, but as he moved she saw a masked gunman standing not far from her.

“There was no time for me to react, it happened so quickly. He just shot me in my chest,” Nadean told the MIDWEEK NATION.

As the horror of the moment gripped her, intense fear set in and she braced herself for the “final moments” because she felt the gunman would come in and “finish the job”.

Nadean, still conscious, could hear someone talking to her while another colleague started to say the Lord’s Prayer – and she repeated.

During the episode, her rosary had fallen off her neck, but someone handed it to her, and clenching it, she said her rosary prayers.

Lord’s Prayer

“I said it until I got tired, but he kept on saying the Lord’s Prayer. I then felt a peace come over me.”

A devout Catholic, Nadean said though it might sound strange, at that point she had forgiven the gunman.

“I don’t know how I came to that thought, but I could only say it as I felt it.”

She did not lose consciousness throughout the ordeal, and on arrival at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, she said the location of the bullet initially eluded doctors.

It was discovered that it entered her chest cavity, missed all vital organs and worked its way to her arm.

In a subsequent surgery, the mother of one said fragments of blue and silver were discovered in her chest, but no one could determine their origin.

She recalled with amazement wearing the rosary that eventful day and that it was shattered by the bullet. Those remnants were part of it.

The removal of the fragments were deemed to be risky, so they are still lodged in her chest.

“I was good up until the surgery. Then I became really emotional, so during the operation a nurse talked with me throughout . . . I thank her.”

Describing herself as upbeat and resilient, Nadean said she makes the best out of any situation.

“The recovery process was difficult because I had to get treatment for about two and a half months with the changing of dressing [et cetera].”

She had vowed to generate something positive out of the trauma, and has, therefore, started a women in ministry group at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in conjunction with congregants Leah and Allison.

“It caters to several women, in and out of the church, to bring them together and render assistance. There is fellowship and care with a focus also on how women in the Bible managed their lives.”

Nadean is eternally thankful to God for saving her life and to Him, she said: “Had it not been for Your mercy, I would not have made it. I also thank You for putting people in my path to help me and give me encouragement.” Acknowledging the spirit of

Christmas, she said the season makes her appreciate people even more, while reflecting on the passing of her mum two years ago “just after Christmas . . . Sometimes it’s a lot to handle”.

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