Judy Bron lost her sight at 32, but she didn’t succumb to darkness, instead living a full life of strength, positivity, and faith

I’m watching a video I’ve been sent by Mrs. Judy Bron’s family. It’s filmed in a small room, where more than a half-dozen family members are gathered in between the computer desk, bed, and bookshelf. In the background you can see someone holding a golden-haired toddler. There’s an atmosphere of cheerful banter.

The video shifts angle to reveal a comfortable wine-colored recliner where the regal family matriarch sits in a robe and turban. Her face, clear of any makeup, shines with happiness as those present sing “Hamalach Hagoel,” and she mouths the words along with them.

Is this simply a heartwarming tableaux of Yiddishe nachas? An inspiring memory of a beloved mother and grandmother? Yes, but it’s also a testament to the gevurah, emunah, and positivity that Mrs. Judy Bron embodied throughout her life. You would never know from the joy she’s radiating in this video that Mrs. Bron suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS), was ill with cancer, and was blind, unable to physically see any of this beautiful family gathering.

The Early Years

Judy Bron and her husband, Nissen Mordechai, married and started their family in Buffalo, New York, where all their five children were born. Judy earned a degree in social work from the University of Buffalo, where she was involved on a leadership level in the Hillel, but ultimately chose a career as a Yiddishe mama.

Judy was a capable, involved mother, heading school fundraiser programs, PTA initiatives, and taking care of the chalav Yisrael milk and kosher-meat orders in Buffalo, in addition to doing carpool, cooking, baking, shopping, and otherwise caring for her growing family.

When her fourth child, Miriam, was nine months old, Judy was diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. The disease affects everyone differently: Some people lose the ability to walk unassisted, or at all. Slurred speech, fatigue, dizziness, and vision problems are common symptoms. There is no cure.

A few months after the birth of her fifth child, at the age of 32, her MS took a turn for the worse, and Judy went blind.