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Abbie Nuzzo

Mrs. Cramer

College Comp Pd 5

18 September 2020

CAN Essay

When my mom gave birth to me sixteen years ago, the nurses in the delivery room said

that she must have given birth to an angel because my hair was as white as snow. Although, my

parents have since realized that was not the case; I was born with a rare condition called

albinism. Albinism is genetic mutation that makes my hair extremely light, my skin fair, my eyes

light sensitive, and my vision permanently impaired.

Vision has always been my biggest setback, from my first eye appointment at 18 months

to the math test I took yesterday. During my initial visit, the doctor informed my parents that my

vision was 20/200 and it couldn’t be corrected with glasses. He was optimistic, however, that I

would see some improvements during early childhood and again during adolescence. Although

this news brought with it hope, there was still lots of uncertainty about my future.

From the time I entered preschool, my parents connected me with a vision specialist who

has helped me in various aspects of my schooling, including getting me large print textbooks or a

front seat in all my classes. Hand-held magnifiers and enlarged notes from my teachers have

been useful as well, but there are still countless times where I have to be innovative and create

strategies to help myself. For example, in sixth grade, I couldn’t see my locker number, so I

never knew where it was. There was a poster above my locker, and I remembered that my locker
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was directly under the letter “O”, and that was how I found it. Also, in most classes, I can’t read

the board when we take notes. Where other students frequently refer to the board to take accurate

notes, I have to remember what the teacher said and write it down without getting a second

glance. I have to rely on my hearing and memorizing skills all the time.

My parents always encouraged me to try new activities, so at a young age I began

participating in sports. When I was four, I played soccer, t-ball, and swam. Over time, it became

evident that my visual impairment was going to limit me in some sports, especially softball. I

then put all of my focus into soccer and swimming. By the age of ten, my soccer team won the

league championship, and I became a state medalist in both the free and medley relays for swim.

In seventh grade, I joined the track team. As a freshman, I became a District 9 medalist in

multiple swimming events and pole vault as well as receiving a varsity letter in soccer,

swimming, and track. While participating in sports, I have learned various life lessons, like to

always believe in myself and to persevere and never give up. This perseverance led me to try out

as a kicker for the football team where I later became the first girl to score a point in the history

of Bradford High football.

Most recently, I turned sixteen and got my driver’s license. If you would’ve asked my

eye specialist six years ago if I would drive, the answer would’ve been a definite no. By the

grace of God, my vision went from 20/200 at 18 months old to 20/60 at sixteen, which is almost

unheard of, as most people with my condition are much worse and unable to drive. Although

there are some restrictions, I was able to make it happen.

All in all, this setback has shaped me into the person I am today. Although there have

been numerous hardships that have come from my condition, I have learned to take the negatives
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and change them into positives. I have taken away from this that with perseverance and

determination, nothing is stopping me from being anything I want to be.