It’s perfectly natural for people to take things for granted from time to time. But when you’re raising a child who is completely blind, today’s guest will tell you that you definitely gain a new perspective and truly see the beauty in everything.
Joining me for this inspiring conversation is Nicole Carr. Nicole is a nurse and a beautiful mom to 3 kiddos, Nora, Aubrey, and Mac. Now that she has seen the challenges firsthand, she is driven to change the world on what is possible for the visually impaired.
When Mac was born, both of his lungs collapsed, and he was rushed to the NICU. A few weeks later, Nicole and her husband, Chris, noticed that something wasn’t right. His eye movements seemed off, and he would often be startled when they picked him up.
Soon afterward, Mac was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia. The diagnosis was anything but definitive, and the Carr family literally had to wait and see what type of vision problems their son would have.
She shares many wonderful and empowering messages about how we are only limited by the assumptions and blind spots that we create for ourselves and others. Nicole and her husband have created an amazing nonprofit called Blind Spot, which helps other families with visually impaired kids with the support they need to dream big and set their sights on accomplishing their goals. She is such a lovely human being and I’m so grateful to be able to share her journey with you.
Key Takeaways with Nicole Carr
- How Nicole’s instincts kicked in during her pregnancy that something wasn’t right, even though the tests were always clear.
- That 85% of what a child learns by the age of 5 is with their vision.
- 75% of the population that is blind is unemployed, and roughly 10% get a college degree.
- Even as a nurse, it’s difficult to understand what the loss of normal life is for a family unless you go through it yourself.
- We’re all human beings with stuff going on at home, and we need to understand that and help each other, especially in the workplace.
- If we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, the people around us are more likely to reciprocate.
- How people tend to make assumptions or put limitations on ourselves and others to rationalize why something can’t be done, when it absolutely can be done.
- The amazing things that the Blind Spot nonprofit is doing to help other families educate those with disabilities.
Nicole Carr Tweetables
- “I am a much better human than I was then. Some of the worries I had for my girls, I no longer have because I see them display all the beautiful things.” – Nicole Carr
- “Learning that the loss of normal is a really big deal for people. So a broken bone is actually a really big deal for people. And it’s amazing how hard it is to have that perspective. I had to learn by going through it.” – Nicole Carr
- “We all have a choice. You can choose to feel sorry for your situation or you can choose to see the beauty around it. And I will tell you, from my perspective, that my life is so much better.” – Nicole Carr
- “If you want to create more joy in your work environment, just listen and create connections with the people you’re around.” – Jamie Freedlund
Resources
- BlindSpot.org
- Follow Nicole Carr on LinkedIn
- KMBC News Article about Blind Spot and Mac Carr
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