We are the Adams Family from Pennsylvania. We have three beautiful, intelligent, active girls. They keep us busy with everyday life: family, school, sports. Our daughter Devin, is smart, funny, active, and blind. She was diagnosed with LCA as an infant. LCA has the earliest onset of retinal degenerations and can be the most severe.
To date, over 17 genes have been identified with mutations that lead to LCA. The largest percent, at about 13%, is caused by the CRB1 gene. This is the gene responsible for Devin’s LCA.
As parents we have enjoyed watching our children learn and grow. We have encouraged them to try new things and discover the things that they are passionate about. In our family that is currently, basketball, horseback riding, and swimming.
Devin recently included her braillenote as part of her school ‘me’ project. She said that being blind is part of who she is, just like having freckles and strawberry blond hair.
As a parent, we are proud to have her be comfortable with who she is! At the same time, we know that she has goals that will be challenged by her blindness and one that will be denied because of her blindness…her driver’s license.
Today, we are so excited because there have been many breakthroughs in LCA research and we want to drive this research to the next level for CRB1 to find a cure within the next few years. Please help us give our daughter the gift of sight so that she can see the stars that she is reaching for and the smiles on the faces of the people around her who love her so much.