Never Give Up
“I’m not going to let blindness get in my way of seeing my dreams come true” – Denita
“I’m not going to let blindness get in my way of seeing my dreams come true” – Denita
Her quote defines her attitude towards life. She takes a challenge as an invitation to prove to herself and others that she can do it. Denita is a strong determined young woman that sees all the possibilities instead of focusing on her vision disability.
Denita grew up in Virginia with two hard working parents. She has five siblings, but she is the only one that has a visual impairment. Her eye condition started at five years of age as a rare condition called Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis of the eyes. It started with her left eye. She could see but with impairment as her left eye continued to deteriorate through her childhood. Over the years she endured 10 experimental surgeries where doctors were trying whatever they could think of to bring her sight back, but to no avail. She lost sight in her left eye and then in her teens it started to affect her right eye. Kids were mean to her because they didn’t understand why her eye looked different or how her visual impairment impacted everything she did. All they knew was she was different and so they made fun of her, bullied her, and alienated her. She felt very alone. Her teachers thought she had a learning disability, but it was just the fact she was losing her sight. She was afraid to tell anyone how bad her eyesight had become. The disease continued to progress in both of her eyes until five years ago when she went blind in both eyes and needed a cane to walk.
Not only did she have to learn to live with visual impairment and how she was made to feel at school but then in her teen years she lost both of her parents. Denita quit school in 12th grade as she just couldn’t endure anymore. While she was down, she wasn’t out. The drive inside her continued to push her to not give up. Three years later she went back and got her degree. Everything she has been through has given her the strength and perseverance to keep going no matter what. She wants people to know that “just because I am blind doesn’t mean I am not a regular person. I just can’t see anymore.” Not only does she want others to know that she is just a person like everyone else but that she can succeed like everyone else can. She wants to work and have social interaction with a network of people. Working gives her a sense of making a difference, contributing to society. She doesn’t want people to feel sorry for her and think she can’t do something. She is a make it happen kind of person.
She came to WSB for the first time 12 years ago and got her Microsoft Office certification. It was hard at first to get a job but once she did, she used everything that she had been taught at WSB. Today she is back with us getting her medical billing certification. Denita wants a lifelong career where she can make more money and be a support to the family she dreams of. Her goals are to have a husband, kids and a great job in medical billing within next ten years. WSB has the honor of being apart of her incredible journey equipping her for the career she dreams of. She says, “the staff and clients at WSB have become her family”. We are a big family, and we are so glad she is a part of it.
From all she has learned she encourages others struggling with blindness to keep going and never give up. Her light shines wherever she is. She is an overcomer and a voice of hope! She has endured more than most but she has never let anything she has been through handicap here from accomplishing her goals. We are so proud of Denita and wish her the best in all she does!