My name is Cynthia Rendon-Sanchez, but I'm known as Cindy to those closest to me. (My preferred name.) I am a 30-year-old stay-at-home mother of three beautiful children that crafts on her off time to make extra income. I'm married to my elementary school sweetheart, Jonathan, whom I met in the first grade. We've been together on and off since the fifth grade, and finally got married in 2006. We've been married almost 9 years this year. Our children are everything to us.
Jasmine, our eldest daughter, is an 11-year-old visually impaired beauty. She has congenital blindness which means that she has been blind since birth. Jassy has retinopathy of prematurity, where her retinas were malformed.
Our Jassy is not only blind, but she also has other disabilities. She has a speech disability, an intellectual disability, and needs helps with basic everyday tasks. Along with a sighted guide, which is person that helps her walk wherever she goes. Despite everything, Jasmine is one of our biggest blessings in life. She is one of my best friends.
October is known as blindness awareness month. On a daily basis, I try to spread awareness by means of social media mainly through my smartphone. Facebook is a great way to discuss and share information on the topic. On Facebook, I am a part of a special needs parent support group in the Cypress, Texas area. All special needs are discussed there along with tips and suggestions on any and all topics one may have. I also like to share on my own personal page which shows up on my friends' feeds as well.
As far as spreading awareness verbally, children tend to ask the most questions so I try to explain Jasmine's blindness and other disabilities in a way that they can comprehend. For example: "Jasmine can't see like you and I can. She needs help everyday just to get around. She is a sweet and smart girl but has a hard time expressing herself to people because she is still learning how to speak."
Adults are just as curious but try to avoid the topic all together since it is still very taboo to most. I actually prefer the questions versus the silence. It makes me feel like you're curious enough to at least want to know and understand what is going on.
Unless you have a child, a relative, or a friend with a visual impairment or any other disability, trying to understand the situation can be overwhelming. Most people fear what they don't know or understand. That's where I, as a proud parent, feel that it is my job to talk about the topic whenever possible. I am proud to be Jassy's mom. We all love her very much. She is our precious gift.
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