BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Broward County family is navigating life with blindness, finding hope and independence through the Lighthouse of Broward, a local organization offering free support for those with visual impairments.
Mayerlyn Bencosme and her three children share a unique bond: They are all are legally blind or have some form of low vision.
Bencosme, who has a rare genetic condition called fovea hypoplasia, learned to adapt to her own challenges before passing the condition to her children.
“I have a condition called fovea hypoplasia. It is a visual condition that affects the fovea plate behind the eye, which is the retina,” she explained. “My vision is 20/100 from one eye and 150 on the other eye. I was born with it.”
Bencosme’s sons —16-year-old Christian, 9-year-old Michael, and 7-year-old Chriszander — each experience varying degrees of visual impairment.
“Christian is considered visually impaired, low vision. They haven’t diagnosed him legally blind yet,” Bencosme said. Meanwhile, Michael has been diagnosed as legally blind, and Chriszander may face a similar diagnosis in the future.
Although her condition was genetic, Bencosme said doctors initially misdiagnosed it as albinism and only confirmed her true condition in adulthood.
“When they thought albinism, they told me there was a 50/50 chance I’d pass it on,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Bencosme said she was raised to be independent, something she now instills in her children. She credits the Lighthouse of Broward for giving her family the tools to thrive.
“I learned braille, how to walk with a cane, how to cook independently with all the tools that I needed, and it was so difficult because, at this point, learning how to cook with tools — like, I’ve never done this. I’ve done it the normal way all my life,” she said. “I didn’t even know that there were weights with big print or put braille labels on my cans or whatever it was that they did there. Everything was so interesting to me and also very helpful because now I can teach my kids.”
“I love that they’re in a community where other children have visual impairments so they understand what they’re going through,” Bencosme added.
Ellyn Drotzer, president and CEO of the Lighthouse of Broward, described the organization as a “place of hope.”
“We are a rehab center where we teach people who have visual impairment how to be independent,” Drotzer said.
The lighthouse provides a variety of programs, from teaching braille and cane navigation to hosting college tours and job preparation for teens like Christian.
Christian expressed his gratitude for the program with Local 10 News.
“The lighthouse really helps us learn a lot of things about our eyesight, about what we have to do to get ready for when we have to separate to do our own things.”
When asked what others should know about people with low vision, Christian said, “I’m different. You don’t have to do a major thing, but all I need you to do is respect me and be there if I do need help.”
The lighthouse offers free transportation to its programs and events, ensuring families like Bencosme’s have access to vital resources.
“I’m just grateful,” Bencosme said. “That’s all I can say. I’m grateful for everyone.”
Click here if you would like more information on the Lighthouse of Broward program.
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