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X
E SOPHOMORE TENNIS
AYER AT U-T TYLER
DISABILITY. HERHER
KETK'S ALEXA VOGUE SAT
DOWN WITH A THAT TENNIS
CHAMPION, WHO HAS A
DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE
GAME....
SHE JOINS US NOW LIVE IN
TYLER WITH HER STORY.....
NICOLE, THERE'S A COMMON
PHRASE IN BOTH LIFE, AND
ESPECIALLY IN SPORTS ---
KEEP YOUR EYE, ON THE
BALL. BUT FOR CANDYCE
HENWOOD THAT'S NOT EASY
AS IT SOUNDS.
CANDYCE HENWOOD SEES
THE WORLD A LITTLE
DIFFERENTLY THAN MOST
PEOPLE. NOT BECAUSE SHE
HAS AN EYE DISEASE THAT
IS SLOWLY TAKING AWAY
HER VISION, BUT BECAUSE
OF HER POSITIVE ATTITUDE
AND UNDENIABLE
RESILIENCE. "that's life. Life
goes on. There are people
that are much worse off than
I am." IT WAS LESS THAN
THREE YEARS AGO, CANDYCE
WAS TOLD SHE'S LEGALLY
BLIND. "my whole life we
didn't know I had this eye
disease so I was living like
what I saw was real, that's
how you're supposed to see,
that's how you're supposed to
live." SHE LATER FOUND OUT
SHE HAS RETINITIS
PIGMENTOSA. PEOPLE WHO
HAVE THIS DISEASE START
BY LOSING PERIPHERAL
VISION, THEN NIGHT
VISION, THEN THEY GET
"TUNNEL VISION" WHERE
THEY CAN ONLY SEE A SMALL
PORTION OF WHAT'S
DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF
THEM, AND EVENTUALLY IT
CAUSES BLINDNESS. "i can
see from your chin to the top
of your head and I can see
half of that bench and then
the pole to your left." "so like
this
" "ummmm" "like this
" "yeah"
AND SOMEHOW WITH THE
HELP OF HER TEAMMATES ---
AND HER PASSION FOR THE
SPORT SHE IS ABLE TO NOT
ONLY PLAY TENNIS --- BUT
COMPETE. IN FACT, SHE WAS
THE CAPTAIN OF HER HIGH
SCHOOL TEAM AND LEAD
THEM TO THEIR STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP. "i think it's
because i've been doing it my
whole life it's easier but i
think
if i just would've picked it up
i
wouldn't be as good, i'm not
great, i wouldn't be as good
as i am now." ###
I ASKED CANDYCE IF
THERE'S A CURE.
SHE SAID HOPEFULLY SOON,
BUT NOT YET.
AND RIGHT NOW DOCTORS
AT HARVARD ARE TRYING TO
FIND A WAY TO EITHER
STOP THE LOSS OF VISION,
OR FIX IT COMPLETELY.
AND THERE IS A WAY TO
DONATE TO THEIR MISSION
IN CANDYCE'S NAME.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP,
VISIT OUR WEBSITE KETK
NBC DOT COM.
REPORTING LIVE IN TYLER,
ALEXA VOGUE KETK NEWS.