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Hey Everyone!
For those of you who don't know, my 5 year old son Victor is
Protan color blind. What does that mean? To break it down, he can see
some colors but not most. For example, super bright shades
of color he can usually pick up on so long as the lighting in the room
or outside is good. Other shades of color (especially darker colors)
all begin to look the same.
Some examples? I asked my son to
tell me what colors the following texts are. These are the colors and
his responses:
What color is this?
Orange!
So what color does this look like to him?
Green!
How about this color? What
does he see? Purple!
What color does he see here?
Brown
He knows that he is color
blind but doesn't really understand
it. How do you explain to
someone that the color they see isn't really the color
they see?
Being color blind has
caused interference with his lessons and daily play. He
does the best he can
despite being color blind and
reassures me when he
sees the look on my face. The one I get when I'm too
heartbroken to let him
know he got a color wrong. Like the day we drove by an
orange excavator. He loves excavators and gleefully
pointed it out. Only, he called it blue. I asked him to
repeat what he had said. He hesitantly told
me..."blue?"... I tried to put on my most
cheerful voice and tell him he was right, that it was a
beautiful blue excavator. But he knew already that he
had gotten it wrong. I have a terrible poker face. He
smiled and told me that it was ok because I was going to
buy him super hero glasses so that he could see colors.
I cheerfully agreed with him hoping he didn't hear my
voice crack from the strain of trying not to cry.
My pain that day wasn't from my son being color
blind. My pain was from the promise echoed from my son.
That Mommy will buy him "super hero glasses"
so that he can see colors. I made him that promise the
day we found out he was color blind. And I have worked
so hard ever since that day to make good on my promise
to my son. Wouldn't you know that life keeps getting in
the way? I'm sure everyone who reads this will
understand what I mean by that. Every single time my
husband and I start gathering up enough spare money to
buy our son his Enchroma glasses something happens to
set us back financially. Car dying, expensive dental
care, new roof, etc, etc. The list continues as life
continues. It's beyond frustrating to begin with for
anyone. But to know that every time something happens it
is another month (and another, and another, and
another...) that I can't make good on my promise to my
son... well that, as I'm sure you already know if you
are a parent, is gut wrenching. To the point where I'm
now doing something I never thought I'd do...I'm asking
for help.
I've never met anyone who likes asking
for help including myself. Sure I'll ask for help
reaching something too high up or perhaps an extra hand
to help carry in the groceries. But humbling myself to
ask for help on a financial level is something I try to
avoid doing at all costs. However, for my son, I will.
So if you are reading this, and if you have any
capacity and desire to help, I am asking you for it. I
do not ask lightly. I really doubt I'll ever be able to
pay you back which is why it makes this so hard for me.
I don't mind asking for something I can repay. It's
having to ask people for nothing more than their sheer
kindheartedness and generosity that humbles me because
it leaves me feeling as vulnerable as a sinner asking
The Lord for forgiveness. I feel unworthy of it. I
question if I even have such a right to ask for it. Yet,
out of hope, I ask anyway.
If you are wondering,
the color blind gene is carried from the mother's side.
My father is also Protan color blind. I want desperately
to buy him glasses too. He told me to worry about my son
first and not him. If (for some miracle) this campaign
actually goes far enough to get money for two glasses,
you bet I'm getting them for my Dad. I want him to see
the true colors of a sunset after 70 years of not really
knowing what it is he's been seeing all this time.
I'm already asking for so much...but if you can
help either financially or by spreading the word by
sharing this campaign for me I will be truly grateful
beyond expression of words.
My deepest gratitude
goes to you. May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year. And, even more, may you have a happy life
where you can truly see the beauty of the world around
you.
Love,
Genna Harris
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