By Amy Meisner Threet
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When she was 9 months old, just starting to walk, and living in Caracas, Venezuela, Marla De Fex developed a fever that an American doctor informed her parents was poliomyelitis. At the age of one her father took her to Rusk Institute in New York City. Her father continued to take her there for treatment twice a year until the family relocated to the U.S. and settled in Flushing, Queens.
The middle child between two sisters, neither of whom has a physical disability, De Fex says, “I didn’t realize I was disabled until I was 9 years old and had to take a health class in school.”
Later, in her twenties, De Fex walked with orthodox leg braces and a cane. She now uses a motorized chair outside of her home and ambulates independently in the house. She credits her parents for all the sacrifices they made for her.
De Fex began living independently at 23 in Queens. She attended New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), graduating as a fashion design major. It was at FIT that a professor, suggested she consider making jewelry as a way to fulfill her artistic desires while remaining seated.
In 1988, De Fex graduated from the now-defunct Joseph Bulova School of Watch Making in Woodside, New York.
A single mom with a now 12-year-old daughter, DeFex says, “I had to prove myself first as a woman in a male-dominated fi eld and second as a person with a disability.” She earned a living taking work home from other jewelers. Some of the work was exhibited in galleries. These were often large pieces of artwork that used a combination of stones, plastics, and glass. Her personal original work with jewelry was done in gold and silver. She did repair work for others as well as her own, which required soldering. As her condition progressed and her hands became more arthritic and swollen, she learned to work with beads.
Over the years, De Fex she has had the opportunity to work with other disabled adults teaching Jewelry Making. Although the classes have been open to both men and women, De Fex remarked on how the classes with all women “took on a life of their own. The women bonded and talked about their lives and various topics. A very relaxed manner of the group evolved while working on creating jewelry.
If you live in the New York City area and would like to take a class learning how to make jewelry with Marla De Fex, call 212-643-8305. Class location will depend on the demand.
Amy Meisner Threet is an actor, dancer and writer who lives in Queens, New York.
