By Molly Moorhead, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monique Zimmerman-Stein of Wesley Chapel was blinded by Stickler’s syndrome, which her two youngest daughters share.
WESLEY CHAPEL — What little light Monique Zimmerman-Stein's eyes once saw is gone now. But she has bigger problems than being blind.
Zimmerman-Stein, who was featured last year in a St. Petersburg Times series about people whose health care benefits don't cover their bills, learned this week that she and her family are being evicted from the home they rent in the Watergrass subdivision.
The family has lived for years with financial stress and strain. Zimmerman-Stein, 49, and her two youngest daughters have Stickler's syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can cause vision loss, cleft palates and severe joint problems. Zimmerman-Stein's vision has deteriorated through her life. Her last surgery was in February — a corneal transplant that failed. Now she ...