At just 25 years old, Jilicia Leitch is learning how to rebuild a life she never imagined losing.
The young Guyanese mother, now recovering after surviving a brutal acid attack, speaks with quiet strength, even as the pain, physical and emotional, remains ever-present.
“I’m trying,” Leitch said softly. “I have my days, but I’m trying.”
Since the attack, her world has shifted in ways that are difficult to put into words. Once able to move freely between work and home, caring for her young daughter,
Leitch now finds herself navigating doctor visits, uncertainty, and the reality of permanent damage.
During a recent trip to Atlanta, doctors delivered devastating news. The damage to her right eye, caused by the acid, is irreversible.
“They said I wouldn’t see again out of the right eye,” she said. “The nerves and tissue were too damaged. It cannot be fixed.”
Still, Leitch chooses gratitude, even in the face of loss.
“It could have been worse,” she said. “I could have lost both eyes. I’m still thankful I can see from one.”
Now in New York seeking further medical care, her hope rests on reconstructive surgery and the possibility of eventually receiving a prosthetic eye. It is a hope she holds onto tightly, even as she prepares herself for any outcome.
“This is me being optimistic,” she said. “But if not, I’ve made peace with it.”
The road to recovery has not been easy. Leitch describes ongoing discomfort, persistent itching, migraines, and pain that often leave her unable to rest comfortably. At times, even looking in the mirror is too much.
“I can’t remember the last time I looked at pictures of how I used to look,” she said. “It makes me sad. I cry.”
Beyond the physical toll, there is the emotional weight of being a mother far from home. Though her child’s father has not pressured her for support, Leitch says the inability to provide still weighs heavily on her heart.
“I still feel bad when I can’t afford to give to my daughter,” she said. “Even just small things… milk, a coloring book.”
The man accused of carrying out the attack, a former partner, is currently out on bail in Guyana. Despite the trauma, Leitch says she has chosen forgiveness, not for him, but for herself.
“I don’t want to hold anger in my heart,” she said. “But I know God doesn’t sleep. Whatever goes wrong must come back wrong.”
Her faith remains one of her strongest anchors.
As she continues her journey, Leitch is calling for help, particularly from medical professionals who may be willing to assist with reconstructive surgery.
“My main focus right now is to get this surgery,” she said. “If there’s any plastic surgeon who would be willing to help… I would really appreciate it.”
Through it all, she holds onto something that cannot be taken from her: resilience.
In the face of unimaginable loss, Jilicia Leitch is still choosing to hope, still choosing to heal, and still choosing, each day, to try. She has a GoFund set up and is asking for help to offset her expenses in New York. You can support her here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/my-journey-after-an-acid-attack
