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Show Aimee MePherson Stricken Blind Following Breakdown LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19. HMD I Aimoc Scmplc MePherson has lost her eyesight, it was announced at Angclus temple here today. The noted evangelist's affliction followed a nervous breakdown two weeks ago, it was said. ' Whether the condition is merely temporary is not known at this flme, according to Miss Emma Schaeffer, secretary to Mrs. MePherson. Me-Pherson. "Sister MePherson is blind, at least temporarily." Miss Schaeffer said. "The condition results from ihe nervous breakdown she suffered suf-fered two weeks ago and which affected af-fected her optic herves last Satur day." I Miss Schaeffer reported that she I stayed with Mrs. MePherson all last night and that the woman preach- er slept only a few minutes. i "She just kept tossing in her bed and she couldn't sleep," Miss Schaeffer said. "This morning when the bright sunlight was streaming into the room sister sai to me 'I wonder if I ever, will get my sight back again'." "Sister has had no rest for several sev-eral days," Miss Schaeffer continued. con-tinued. "I started last night to leave the beach cottage where she j, staying and then I rememberc how badly she looked. I went back and stayed all night then." Miss Schaeffer spoke bitterly ( reports that Mrs. McPherson's ai. ment resulted from a beauty ope,a, tion and not a nervous breakdown' "People saw bandages being ap. plied to sister's eyes and I,,,. mediately started gossiping," (ne secretary stated. "The bandages are necessary if sister's eyesight i,. ever to return-" Shortly after Miss Schaeffer rt-ported rt-ported the blindness, the board o( directors of Angclus temple gavj out a second bulletin advising that Mrs. McPherson's condition at ill was serious although physician, thought they noted a slight im. provement. Despite the announcement ol Miss Schaeffer and the Angelu temple board of directors, reportj minimizing the illness were heard Refusal of temple officials to giv,. the name of the evangelist's physi. cians fostered the rumor that face lifting and not a nervous break, down had caused Mm. MePherson temporary retirement. |