Like a lot of 9 year olds, my dream was to become a professional athlete. But my hopes changed when I was diagnosed with Stargardt disease , a rare genetic eye condition that damages the macula.

The disease has caused progressive vision loss, leading to becoming legally blind.

Though my condition ended some aspirations, it also washed away other milestones — like getting my driver’s license or working a high school job. Instead, I was left with predetermined outcomes based on assumptions about my “limited” abilities.

Rather than encouragement, my future was treated with caution. Unlike peers who were invited to go “above and beyond,” I was often applauded for “trying my best.”

For years, I lived my childhood with that mindset, going through the motions with no clear direction — that

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