A story of overcoming the challenges that a family presents, let's get to know it from the perspective of a mother:
"I was excited and prepared for the birth of my third son, however the joy of his arrival was clouded by uncertainty, pain and sadness at the unexpected news that he had been born with aniridia, a condition characterized by the lack of iris, nystagmus, central posterior cataracts and optic nerve hypoplasia and macula atrophy, which significantly affects your vision. His visual residual is approximately 20/300 in both eyes. My son was born legally blind! His future was uncertain or at least that was what he believed at the time.
Having a child with a visual impairment changed our expectation of life. After recovering from the initial pain and confusion, we leave the feelings of anguish behind and make a decision, “Joan Manuel would have all the possible opportunities, unconditional support and only he would decide what he could or could not do”. I got to work; evaluations, visits to specialists, therapies, early intervention and information seeking. Very soon I began to discover and recognize his strengths. He learned quickly, was determined and showed a lot of initiative.
It was time to go to school and my fight for inclusion. I knew I could function in the general classroom if I received the necessary support and accommodations. It was not easy, there were many obstacles and moments of frustration and doubt. Finally, my son started in Head Start and then entered the school where his brothers studied. Its execution surprised us all. He never complained about his condition. He grew up happy and participated in all school and family activities, while he discovered for himself different strategies to integrate. He graduated from his fourth year and entered the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, to the Faculty of Business Administration. He took orientation and mobility and learned Braille through Vocational Rehabilitation. He studied in Spain, participated in the missions in Honduras and World Youth Day in Germany. He is an independent, confident young man with clear goals. In December 2012, he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and received an excellent job offer.
In March 2013 at the age of 25, my son will leave the nest and join the workforce at one of the most recognized agencies in the world, NASA in Maryland. Once again a mixture of feelings and emotions flood my being. Only this time my tears are not of sadness, but of joy at seeing my Joanmy become a fulfilled, independent, responsible, but above all happy young adult. He never allowed his condition to limit him in achieving his dreams and goals. I am certain that in your luggage you carry all the necessary tools for a full, productive and happy life.
My son Joan Manuel has been an opportunity for learning, growth and an example of improvement for the entire family. Without a doubt I have learned much more from him than I have been able to teach him. Joanmy has taught us that there are no impediments when we accept ourselves and fight for what we want.”