Nine-year-old Lily Gatehouse, who is blind, is about to go on an incredible journey of self-discovery. This positive, empowering experience has utterly changed her outlook on life. Her family has stood by with nothing but love and support. At the same time, an intentional mentoring program teaches her how to confidently face the world. Her experience speaks to the power of community and shared wisdom from others facing the same hurdles.
Lily’s parents are determined to see her through. Her mother, Gemma Gatehouse, is particularly keen to highlight that Lily is capable of doing everything that her sighted classmates can. They have supported her in feeling proud about and accepting her blindness while simultaneously preparing her with the tools she needs to succeed. As Lily spends time with her fellow blind students, she starts to gain new perspectives on her circumstances.
Gemma reflects on the impact of these connections, stating, “Until we started really bringing a lot of blind people around Lily, she would say things like, ‘I don’t want to be blind.’” Through this shift in perspective, Lily has learned to not only embrace her blindness but flourish inside of it.
Learning from Others
With the help of a youth mentoring program in her community called Eye Empower, Lily has had the chance to acquire these strategies from others who are blind. The program, launched by young advocates and sisters Simran and Salonee Goyal, seeks to empower youth who have dealt with the same barriers they have.
Lily has been questioning her mentor on how best to soar through the various stages of life. Sarah loves hanging out with her experienced farming peasants and learning from all that shared experience! “I feel like I can do everything that sighted people can … but just in a different way,” Lily asserts, showcasing her determination and positivity.
Besides developing her confidence, Lily picks up skills that she uses on a daily basis. She understands that the most effective way to do makeup is with her hands. She has developed some pretty nifty unique storage solutions. She puts different textures on the cards in her wallet so she can feel to know which card is which. She refuses to buy two pieces of clothing in the same material.
Embracing Her Identity
Her experience has become just as much about gaining skills as it has been about learning to accept and live fully as a blind person. Through her experiences with other blind people, she has found a community that has given her the sense of belonging she longed for. Within a safe space that enables her to authentically share and express her lived experiences, she no longer feels judged and misunderstood.
Gemma explained how these moments have been crucial for Lily: “In those moments, Lily just gets to be blind and she gets to talk about things with people who get it.” In turn, this shared understanding breeds resilience and confidence as they go to work together overcoming their new unique challenges.
The mentoring program has given Lily an opportunity to create connections with other teens who share those challenges. Simran Goyal described how these connections are invaluable: “The most important thing that young people need is sharing lived experiences with others, having a place where they can vent or share what they’re going through.”
Future Aspirations
With a lot of hard work on the way, Lily has some ambitious aspirations ahead. She dreams of traveling the world and one day becoming a paramedic. Her ambitions reflect her powerful commitment to serving others. They make clear her uncompromising insistence upon a full life lived, blind or not.
Lily’s journey from isolation to acceptance is an inspirational testament to the power of community and mentorship, and the importance of self-acceptance. Simran Goyal recognized the importance of these connections in their program: “We wanted to build a mentoring program by young people for young people.”
Lily’s brothers, Andy and Eddy, who are blind themselves, thrive in the same caring space. This family ties deepens their resolve to face and overcome adversity as one.
