Macular Degeneration - How Passion Helps to Overcome the Impossible
Passion is a strong enthusiastic emotion about something.
With a strong enough passion, even the seemingly impossible can be achieved.
Ever since I was in Mrs.
Blackburn's kindergarten class, my passion was always to teach in the public schools.
But after losing my sight at age eight due to Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa, many wondered how I would ever be able to achieve this dream.
By the time I reached my junior year in college, I was still reading with a small magnifying glass pressed up against the words in my books.
The reading assignments were extremely long and I was falling farther and farther behind.
Give up? But this was my passion to become a teacher.
I can't give up.
But my inner voice kept saying, "Nancy Shugart, what makes you think you can become a teacher when you can barely see to read?" I did not have an answer for that worthy question.
It had been twelve years since I had lost my sight and I was growing weary of reading so slowly.
Thoughts of giving up began creeping into my mind once again.
But it was so painful to think that giving up on my passion was my only option.
What is your passion? What is it that you love to do? Are you worried that vision loss may force you to give up on what you love to do? You can't give up! I speak from personal experience.
There is an answer out there.
You just have to find it.
I found my answer in the fall of 1977.
At a time when I was losing all hope, I was directed to the university's library where a machine called a CCTV, today referred to as a video magnifier, was kept.
It had been donated to the library by a local Lion's Club.
When the librarian turned the unit on, the words from my college textbook appeared up on the screen in large bold black letters.
I gasped because for the first time since I was eight years old, I could see to read again.
Telesensory video magnifiers have made it possible for me to follow my passion.
I taught in the public schools for 21 years with a video magnifier on my desk in my classroom and one on my desk at home.
I found my answer and you will too! Follow your passion.
Have a strong enough passion so that even vision loss cannot stand in your way.
With a strong enough passion, even the seemingly impossible can be achieved.
Ever since I was in Mrs.
Blackburn's kindergarten class, my passion was always to teach in the public schools.
But after losing my sight at age eight due to Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa, many wondered how I would ever be able to achieve this dream.
By the time I reached my junior year in college, I was still reading with a small magnifying glass pressed up against the words in my books.
The reading assignments were extremely long and I was falling farther and farther behind.
Give up? But this was my passion to become a teacher.
I can't give up.
But my inner voice kept saying, "Nancy Shugart, what makes you think you can become a teacher when you can barely see to read?" I did not have an answer for that worthy question.
It had been twelve years since I had lost my sight and I was growing weary of reading so slowly.
Thoughts of giving up began creeping into my mind once again.
But it was so painful to think that giving up on my passion was my only option.
What is your passion? What is it that you love to do? Are you worried that vision loss may force you to give up on what you love to do? You can't give up! I speak from personal experience.
There is an answer out there.
You just have to find it.
I found my answer in the fall of 1977.
At a time when I was losing all hope, I was directed to the university's library where a machine called a CCTV, today referred to as a video magnifier, was kept.
It had been donated to the library by a local Lion's Club.
When the librarian turned the unit on, the words from my college textbook appeared up on the screen in large bold black letters.
I gasped because for the first time since I was eight years old, I could see to read again.
Telesensory video magnifiers have made it possible for me to follow my passion.
I taught in the public schools for 21 years with a video magnifier on my desk in my classroom and one on my desk at home.
I found my answer and you will too! Follow your passion.
Have a strong enough passion so that even vision loss cannot stand in your way.
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