Sydney was diagnosed with ROP at 32 weeks after being born at 25 weeks. She has been legally blind all her life. She received several laser treatments to try to correct the problem, but that left her with no peripheral vision, no vision in her right eye, and limited vision in her left eye.
Sydney will be attending Nova Southeastern University — a private school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — majoring in Legal Studies and minoring in sports management. Law school is becoming part of her future plans, and following that, to work for a junior hockey team in operations and work her way up to the NHL.
Sydney has been participating in the Teen Tele-Support group for three years. She says, “I think after I started participating in the calls, they really gave me a sense of community. Talking with the other kids in our group and sharing our similar experiences helped me realize that vision impairment is not that bad after all and that there are other people out there who are like me. Even though we may not live in the same county or the same state, knowing there are other people like me, I think that helped me not only come to grips with my vision impairment, but it helped me embrace it more. I think that has really been fantastic for me. I also think it helped me with my outlook on my vision in terms of showing other people how to be positive and handle things the right way.”
I think after I started participating in the calls, they really gave me a sense of community."
Sydney, Client
She considers Tele-Support facilitator Daria Zawadzki a mentor, a friend, and someone she can turn to if she needs anything. Sydney called on her for letters of recommendation, to assist her with guidance on her college essays, and to talk about college and the experience of going away from home to school. She shares, “I think that it is really important, especially for someone with a visual impairment, to have someone like Daria to look up to.”
Sydney says she would recommend someone newly diagnosed with vision loss to join the Teen Tele-Support Program one hundred percent. She shares, “I think it is something that every visually impaired and blind person should be aware of and at least aware of the resources. So often, you don’t even know where to turn to, not just for help but for friendship and a sense of community. You don’t even know where to start because the resources aren’t available for you. And I think resources such as the Lighthouse Guild Teen Tele-Support Program is something everyone should be aware of.”
Lifetime Connections
Our Tele-Support program is a “safe space” for students to share their feelings and frustrations, advise on coping with vision loss, share technology and resources, and help find solutions to the obstacles they encounter. Many participants say their group is their emotional lifeline and have built lasting friendships.
Camille values her friendship with Sydney. Sydney joined the group a year after Camille, and when they met on that first call, they found they had many of the same things in common. She says, “I’m really happy that we met too, and she is one of my best friends. Even though we live thousands of miles away from each other, she is one of my best friends.”
Sydney says, “I never expected to find someone who had the exact same eye condition as me. I mean, Camille and I are like the same person. Our vision issues are the same, which is hilariously funny. After the second Teen Tele-Support Program call, we exchanged phone numbers and became friends. We started this little group chat between Camille, me, and another group member.”
The two discovered that they love sports, have similar college focuses, and want a career in the sports industry. Sydney shares about her friendship with Camille, “Just having someone to say “hey” and to bounce ideas off each other, or having someone to talk to, or if I ever wanted to just chat about something, she has been great for that.”
If you are blind or visually impaired, you can connect with someone who “gets it” through Lighthouse Guild’s Tele-Support groups. Visit our Tele-Support page for more information.
Lighthouse Guild’s National Tele-Support Program is sponsored in part by Apellis, providing community and care to people across the country.
Join our Mission
Lighthouse Guild is dedicated to providing exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals.
