Family go on world tour before they lose their sight due to rare eye condition
A family from Canada have been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that causes loss or decline of vision over time. They have accepted their condition and have embarked on a world tour to fill them up with visual memories.
There are many things that we tend to take for granted in life. Sometimes forgetting that there is someone or several people our there who are having to live through a challenging time.
Besides the pandemic, there are people who are going through challenges daily. But what we have learnt is that it's not about the challenge as much as it is about the way you handle the challenge.
If anything we have come to learn that in a harsh way, but it is a valuable lesson nonetheless.
For this family finding out that three of their kids had a rare genetic condition, called retinitis pigmentosa that causes a loss or decline in vision over time, was anything but calming.
It took them time to accept that this condition comes with no cure or "effective treatment to slow down the progression of retinitis pigmentosa." (CNN)
And by doing so it prepared them to embark on a family adventure, a world tour with their kids.
Their eldest, Mia, who was first diagnosed from the kids, thereafter their sons, Colin (7), and Laurent (5) experienced the same symptoms.
Mia's specialist advised parents, Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier, to fill her up with visual memories.
And so the idea to take their family on a world tour was born. It wasn't something that they could just do considering the feasibility in travelling, but it seems it was all meant to be.
Pelletier received a boost of funds when the company he worked for and had shares in got sold.
Their travels were delayed due to the travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic, but they set off in March this year. And have managed to instil some great visual memories as a family.
Both Lemay and Pelletier want to teach their kids about coping through challenges, so as much as the travelling is fun and memorable, it is also a way for them to learn about resilience.
The kids will also be exposed to different cultures and their ways of life, which they hope will help teach their kids that they should be grateful for what they have in life.
"No matter how hard their life is going to be, I wanted to show them that they are lucky just to have running water in their home and to be able to go to school every day with nice colorful books," adds Lemay." (CNN)
It is super inspiring to see how this one family is using their time together to not only see the world, but also to teach their kids important life lessons during a tough time.
They are essentially making the most of what they have, and that's something we all could do more of. Think about that before you complain about the loadshedding today...
Image Credit: Instagram