The Tawam Family

My name is Muneer Tawam, and I was born in 1987. I was the third child, out of eight siblings, but I was the first one who was diagnosed with LCA. Growing up in the 90s was tough on my sister and I. Her name is Dunia Tawam, and she’s one year younger than I. We were always told by doctors, that there’s nothing they can do, and hopefully there will be something in the future. Finally the future’s here! My baby sister Janna Tawam, who is 13 years younger than I, was the first one amongst us to undergo genetic testing in 2010. They discovered, that her CRB1 gene was defective. Shortly after her results came in, my sister Dunia and I underwent the same testing. All three of our results were identical. It’s great to know that my little sister Jenna, and younger children with the same eye condition, don’t have to hear bad news anymore. Doctors are working on a treatment, and by families teaming up with this organization, where one more step closer to a treatment.