| Category: Health & Beauty: Diseases & Conditions |
A Canadian couple has been going around the world, visiting different breathtaking locations and experiencing new cultures before their three kids lose their vision completely.
Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier's daughter, Mia, was three when the couple found out that the eldest of their four children has a rare genetic condition called 'retinitis pigmentosa' which causes loss or decline in vision gradually. Later, the family found out that two sons also have the same vision-impacting disorder.
Lemay and Pelletier then noticed that their two sons, 5-year-old Laurent and 7-year-old Colin also showed similar symptoms. In 2019, the couple, who have been married for over 12 years, had the same genetic disorder. The couple also have another son, a nine-year-old Leo – the only child in the family to test negative for the disorder.
In an interview with CNN travel, the couple revealed that there is no cure for retinitis pigmentosa currently or effective treatment to slow down the symptoms.
"We don't know how fast it's going to go, but we expect them to be completely blind by mid-life," the couple said.
It took some time to come to terms with the fact that three of their four children were soon going to be blind. So the two started preparing their children for their life ahead with useful skills and knowledge that can help them navigate once they lose their eyesight.
The couple further revealed that the plan to see the globe together as a family started brewing after their daughter, Mia's specialist introduced them to 'visual memories' concept. That's when the couple started making a plan to travel around the world with the kids for a year.
And thus began the adventures of the Lemay-Pelletier family as they set off to scratch places off their bucket list.
"With the diagnosis, we have an urgency," Pelletier, who works in finance, said, adding "There's great things to do at home, but there's nothing better than travelling. Not only the scenery, but also the different cultures and people."
The family of six soon began saving up money for their journey and had plans to take off in 2020 which involved spending time in China and sight-seeing through Russia by land.
"We're focusing on sights," explains Pelletier. "We're also focusing a lot on fauna and flora. We've seen incredible animals in Africa, but also in Turkey and elsewhere. "So we're really trying to make them see things that they wouldn't have seen at home and have the most incredible experiences."
Lemay told CNN that their kids - Mia, Colin and Laurent - will need to be really resilient throughout their life as they constantly readjust as their eyesight worsens.
From being up close with elephants, zebras, giraffes to enjoying fauna and flora, the couple is making sure that their kids receive the full visual experience. "We're focusing on sights," Pelletier further added.
"We're also focusing a lot on fauna and flora. We've seen incredible animals in Africa, but also in Turkey and elsewhere. "So we're really trying to make them see things that they wouldn't have seen at home and have the most incredible experiences."
The couple shares all the pictures and videos of the family and their kids when they are on the road on their official Instagram handle where they have over 83.9K followers.
~ Via Economic Times |
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