I was diagnosed with RP at the age of 16. As the years went by, I lost my vision little my little. It started with night blindness and now I only have light perception. Throughout my journey, I received help from The Commission for the Blind in Massachusetts. I also received support and training from The Carol Center for the Blind in Massachusetts as well. I took online Braille classes through Hadley School so that I could continue to read. Over the years, I have reached out to various facilities, including the Lighthouse to help me improve my daily living skills, computer skills, and my mobility. I have received a lot of help through these agencies, which helped to make me more independent and helps me to give back. Now I am able to work as a volunteer for the support classes. I especially enjoy the tactile art class at the Lighthouse, as it fulfills my creative side and also enables me to feel good about myself. even though I cannot see the artwork, it's a great feeling to know that I can still creative artwork with vision loss. And the art class is even more of a blessing because I get to do it with my daughter, who also has her own challenges in life. We get to enjoy this time in the art class together, creating things. It's very empowering. I love it!