It is too often that we take for granted the things which come most naturally to us. Our sense of sight is perhaps the most basic and overlooked of these. The prospect of suddenly waking up one day with little or no eyesight would be a horrifying experience for anyone. How would you be able to cope? Could you even continue the life you once knew? These are the same questions that computer science senior Ms. Zhuang Jin-jie had to face one day when she suddenly learned she was losing her eyesight.

Before a packed house on the evening of May 5^th Zhuang retold her life story to fellow students, faculty, and administrators in what was a truly moving event. So many individuals turned up for the talk that a nearby room had to be setup with a live video broadcast. Zhuang hoped that her talk would inspire individuals to recognize the blessings people receive every day and to be thankful to those who fill our lives with so much care and passion.

Ms. Zhuang is your typical girl next door whose passion for learning made her excel at school. At the age of thirteen she had a bicycle accident which at the time seemed like a minor enough event. Soon after the accident, however, she began to notice that she had an increasingly difficult time in making out objects, particularly what was written on the blackboard in school. After a thorough examination by her optometrist Zhuang was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration, a rare and incurable disease. Doctors informed her that her eyesight would continue to deteriorate until she would lose the ability to see altogether. "I was only thirteen at the time of the diagnosis. A beautiful life was supposed to be lying ahead of me, but it took an unexpected turn. I have never left the front row in class since then. Everyday I went to the hospital and waited long hours outside the clinic, only for the same response from the doctor, 'there is no cure.' Time and again my hopes were shattered to pieces. Out of self-pity, I asked ' Why me?' I was often scared to close my eyes to go to sleep, because I didn't know if I would be able to see tomorrow's daylight. Everyday I cried myself to sleep and woke up in fear. One day, a doctor of Chinese medicine said to me, 'I can restore your vision.' Since then my family has had to shoulder a huge debt in order to help me see again. I have taken all kinds of Chinese medicine soups that have smelled unimaginably foul. I wanted to give up on the medication, but a voice would ask 'Can you afford to give up now?' I was a mountain climber who was only half way through the climb. The peak was within my grasp I only needed to press on to reach it. I faithfully endured three hard years with the medication until finally my urinary system failed."

However, despite all her hardships Zhuang has developed an attitude of self-respect. She repeatedly tells herself, "I trust I can do it. And I am the best. The pain of the disease can be slowly forgotten, but I will never forget those who stood by me." Zhuang hopes that the adversities she has endured will help her to design and develop new technologies like audio books to help the visually impaired. At the end of her talk, Zhuang's father extended a few words of appreciation to all those who have helped his daughter along the way. Before departing the stage, Zhuang led the audience in singing "A Heart of Gratitude" after which there was not a dry eye in the audience.

In face of all the difficulties she has had to face Zhuang remains fearless. Chinese Literature undergraduate Zhang Yu-chuan commented, "It was the most touching talk I've ever had the pleasure to attend. I've listened to countless talks since I was a child, but I've never been to one where I cried from beginning to end. To me, the circumstances Zhuang has had to endure has not made her a tragic case; instead she strives to make the most of her life. The tears I shed were not of pity, but because I was genuinely moved by her words. In fact I can still remember the first time I met Zhuang, it was in a general education class. While many other students were dozing off, there was Zhuang at the front of the classroom intently using a magnifier and listening to the professor’s every word. She has had to work much harder than any one. It makes you think, shouldn't I too make the most of my life?"