Camille was born with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), an eye disease that occurs when a baby is born prematurely and their retinas do not fully develop. It affects both eyes and can lead to vision problems or blindness. She had a lot of eye surgeries when she was younger and was diagnosed with glaucoma around the age of two. Her right eye was removed and replaced at age three with a prosthetic eye. She describes her vision as looking through a paper towel tube with waxed paper on the end. She also has mild cerebral palsy. Her first year of high school was spent home-schooled due to a major surgery that confined her to a wheelchair for six weeks.
Once she recovered, Camille became more involved in school activities. She was named to the national honor society, won Millard West High Schools Outstanding Student of the Year in her junior year, and was part of the senior class board in her senior year. She was on the unified bowling team, a sports director for the school newspaper, a math tutor, and part of the IC group at her school, serving as a peer support and mentoring group for students with and without autism. She was also involved with the Sing Omaha Girls’ Choir and took horseback riding courses.
I would definitely recommend them participating in the Lighthouse Guild Teen Tele Support Program. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the calls and benefited greatly from the group calls. "
Camille, Client
Camille is a 2022 recipient of a Lighthouse Guild Scholarship. She says, “It really means a lot to me, and I want to thank Lighthouse Guild for their generosity. [The scholarship] will help me greatly by allowing me to have the full college experience while living on campus and having a social life. It will also allow me to learn in the classroom, develop professional relationships, and obtain internships that will give me valuable field experience.”
Camille will attend Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, majoring in Business Intelligence and Analytics. Her goal is to work in the field of sports analytics. Her dream job is to help a sports team improve its on-field performance using data and statistics.
Camille has been participating in the Lighthouse Guild’s Teen Tele-Support Program since she was in the 9th grade. She says, “I’m always looking to meet people similar to me, not just similar interests, but who are also visually impaired. Being a visually impaired student, this group has allowed me to meet with people who have the same struggles I do. It has also allowed me to receive advice about different topics and give others advice and share my own experiences.”
Camille finds the Lighthouse Guild Teen Tele-Support Program to be helpful. Specifically, when the group talked about college applications, members would share their experiences giving each other useful advice. She also shares that she uses some of the skills she learns from the calls in her everyday life. And found the group facilitator and licensed social worker, Daria Zawadzki, helpful regarding college applications and essay writing. Camille was grateful for her tips and guidance.
She says of the tele-support program, “I would definitely recommend them participating in the Lighthouse Guild Teen Tele Support Program. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the calls and benefited greatly from the group calls. I would also tell them not to be afraid to engage on the group calls right and to introduce themselves and jump right into the conversation with the members of the group.”
Lifetime Connections
Our Tele-Support program is a “safe space” for students to share their feelings and frustrations, advise on coping with vision loss, share technology and resources, and help find solutions to the obstacles they encounter. Many participants say their group is their emotional lifeline and have built lasting friendships.
Camille values her friendship with Sydney. Sydney joined the group a year after Camille, and when they met on that first call, they found they had many of the same things in common. She says, “I’m really happy that we met too, and she is one of my best friends. Even though we live thousands of miles away from each other, she is one of my best friends.”
Sydney says, “I never expected to find someone who had the exact same eye condition as me. I mean, Camille and I are like the same person. Our vision issues are the same, which is hilariously funny. After the second Teen Tele-Support Program call, we exchanged phone numbers and became friends. We started this little group chat between Camille, me, and another group member.”
The two discovered that they love sports, have similar college focuses, and want a career in the sports industry. Sydney shares about her friendship with Camille, “Just having someone to say “hey” and to bounce ideas off each other, or having someone to talk to, or if I ever wanted to just chat about something, she has been great for that.”
If you are blind or visually impaired, you can connect with someone who “gets it” through Lighthouse Guild’s Tele-Support groups. Visit our Tele-Support page for more information.
Lighthouse Guild’s National Tele-Support Program is sponsored in part by Apellis, providing community and care to people across the country.
Lifetime Connections
Our Tele-Support program is a “safe space” for students to share their feelings and frustrations, advise on coping with vision loss, share technology and resources, and help find solutions to the obstacles they encounter. Many participants say their group is their emotional lifeline and have built lasting friendships.
Camille values her friendship with Sydney. Sydney joined the group a year after Camille, and when they met on that first call, they found they had many of the same things in common. She says, “I’m really happy that we met too, and she is one of my best friends. Even though we live thousands of miles away from each other, she is one of my best friends.”
Sydney says, “I never expected to find someone who had the exact same eye condition as me. I mean, Camille and I are like the same person. Our vision issues are the same, which is hilariously funny. After the second Teen Tele-Support Program call, we exchanged phone numbers and became friends. We started this little group chat between Camille, me, and another group member.”
The two discovered that they love sports, have similar college focuses, and want a career in the sports industry. Sydney shares about her friendship with Camille, “Just having someone to say “hey” and to bounce ideas off each other, or having someone to talk to, or if I ever wanted to just chat about something, she has been great for that.”
If you are blind or visually impaired, you can connect with someone who “gets it” through Lighthouse Guild’s Tele-Support groups. Visit our Tele-Support page for more information.
Lighthouse Guild’s National Tele-Support Program is sponsored in part by Apellis, providing community and care to people across the country.
Join our Mission
Lighthouse Guild is dedicated to providing exceptional services that inspire people who are visually impaired to attain their goals.
