“I once was blind but now I see” is a line from one of my favorite old hymns but what happens when blindness is a reality? When someone really is blind, or going blind, and there is no cure for it? Aldolfo is a freshman at our school and is in this scenario. He has a disorder that makes him have tunnel vision but only in the perimeter making text almost impossible to read. His condition has progressively become worse and there is nothing that doctors here or in the US can due to help nor has God chosen to heal Aldolfo.
God has though, placed several caring teachers in Aldolfo’s path that have helped him find ways to adapt. One teacher takes pictures of his text books then emails them to Aldolfo. Aldolfo goes to a restaurant to download the emails on an old iPad since he does not have wifi. This has been somewhat successful in that he now has access to his textbooks and can change the font so it is big enough for him to read. The downfall is that he is heavily reliant on teachers to remember to do this for him as well as the wifi working well when he is at the restaurant. A couple weeks ago, someone donated a iPad with a camera to Aldolfo giving him responsibility for his own learning. This may not seem like a big deal but to a young man it is huge.
He can now use the iPad to take pictures of anything he is needing to see. This also helps him learn to be responsible in his classes and eventually allowing him to use this in his adult life. This also has the added benefit of him being able to check out books electronically from a library in the US and adjust the text. Right now, while his classmates read he puts his head on his desk because he can’t see well enough to read any of the books in our library. Someone graciously is allowing him to use their electronic library card so that he now has access to books. He may not be “cured” but he is now able to see well enough to be successful in school. Aldolfo is great kid with a lot going for him. Thanks to all those who have given him the opportunity to be successful.
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