My Best Days

The most amazing thing happened to me last year! I went to swim practice at my school. This may not seem amazing to you, but it is to me. Maybe I should start at the beginning.

Two weeks after my fourth birthday, I found out I had a brain tumor. Two weeks later I went into the hospital. I came out blind.

I was so young that I didn’t really understand what that meant. I asked my mom when morning would come. I asked my dad to turn on the lights. I went outside. I just couldn’t understand why it was dark all of the time.

I had to learn how to do everything without sight – walk around without bumping into things, get dressed, read and write, use a computer. Imagine putting on a blindfold and eating a spaghetti dinner? Remember! No peeking.

While I was learning, I bumped, crashed and ran into lots of things – brick walls, metal poles, doors and trees. I fell down stairs, tripped over curbs and walked off the end of the dock at least three times. But I never gave up. These days, nothing stops me from going places. I use my hearing to see.

Another thing about being blind is that it can be hard to get enough physical activity each day. There aren’t many places you can run full blast without getting hurt. You have to be innovative.

My parents had a hard time finding sports leagues for me to join. But when I was eight, one swim changed my life forever. My goal was to swim across the lake at camp. It took me two and a half hours. I was so dizzy when I got to the other shore but it was so worth it! I was so proud of myself I told everyone about it. Then someone told me about a famous marathon swimmer named Vicki Keith. She had a team for swimmers with a disability at Variety Village.

My first day on the swim team was one of the best days of my life! I couldn’t believe it! They were all calling out to have me on their relay team. Nobody at school had ever wanted me on their team. I was so nervous. Vicki treated us all with such respect. This was one of the first times in my life that I had found a place where it didn’t matter that I was blind.

I love swimming because I don’t have to feel for things in the pool. I know that I won’t trip over any rocks or walk into any trees. But most of all I love feeling strong and fit.

I enjoy lots of different sports now. I downhill ski all winter long. Someone goes behind me and calls “right, left, right, left, tree, hill, woops, SORRY!” In the summer I canoe, kayak, sail, boogie board and do archery (yup, bows and arrows). I rock climb. No fear of heights… the ground doesn’t look that far away to me! I water ski and scuba dive. I’ve even gone sky diving once.

That sounds like quite a story doesn’t it? Maybe it’s important to tell you that by the time I was 12 years old I had spent four and a half years of my life in chemotherapy. My tumor grew back three times. That meant about 1,000 needles, 25,000 pills and three operations. I’ve had more of each since. Sky diving just didn’t seem all that scary to me after all that.

It’s still amazing to me how small things in life can make a big difference. Like the respect and kindness. Do you know what I want most in life? It’s to be treated just like everyone else.

The most amazing thing happened to me last year! I went to swim practice at my school. That may not seem amazing to you, but 10 years ago I probably wouldn’t have been allowed to join.

When I arrived at my first practice the coach said: “Glad to have you on our team. Is there anything you need or anything you would like us to do?” That was one of the best days of my life!

 By: Robert Hampson, Age 17, Variety Village Flames Swim Team

Learn more about Robert at http://www.glowinghearts.ca/.

YOUR COMMENTS: Share your child’s story of reaching for his or her own personal podium. Special activities? Special modifications? Your experiences will guide or encourage other parents with a child with a disability.