Thursday, October 12, was world sight day focusing attention on blindness and visual impairment. Today's episode of Stories that Touch your Heart focuses on a Milwaukee teenager who doesn't let blindness stop him from achieving his goals.
Before you meet him, here are a few facts on blindness: according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 36 million people in the world are blind. (http://atlas.iapb.org/) To be considered "legally blind," an individual must have 20/200 vision or less, with the best possible correction. (https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics)
Carlos Garcia wasn't born blind, but has been 100% blind since he was a toddler, when cancer (retinoblastoma) in one eye spread to the other one. He hasn't let blindness slow him down. He's a member of the National Honor Society, on his school's wrestling team and volunteers his time to help others who are blind. His can-do attitude is inspirational.
The following links have further information. The first is a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on Carlos Garcia: http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/columnists/jim-stingl/2017/01/05/stingl-teen-says-dont-really-see-handicap/96154212/ The second has photos of Carlos Garcia taken by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:: http://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/columnists/jim-stingl/2017/01/05/photos-carlos-garcia-will-compete-in-academic-decathlon/96208964/
