Legally Blind 9-Year-Old Girl Watches 'The Nutcracker' Ballet With Special Glasses For First Time Ever

Jan 03, 2020 by apost team

Many little girls want to grow up and be a ballerina. And most little girls are able to see the beauty and magic that happens during a ballet performance and never have to wonder what it looks like. However, this little girl from Austin with disabled eyes was unable to see a ballet until recently when she was given the chance to through special glasses.

Especially magical is a Christmas ballet. One inspiring story of a dream came true happened in Austin, Texas with a young 9-year-old girl named Lily Lueders. But what made it especially miraculous was that she had spent her life legally blind. Lily was diagnosed at the age of three months with a condition known as Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, reports People.com.

The rare eye condition caused blindness in her right eye and very limited vision in her left (20/800). The condition is caused by a genetic malformation of the optic nerve in the brain and causes involuntary shaking of the eyes.

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Lily's mother, Kimmy Lueders, proclaimed that Lily had learned to navigate the world despite her condition and that she was inspirational in how she chose to "see" the world around her.

A unique opportunity was offered to her during that special Christmas season. For her and others like her, Dell Technologies, along with partners eSight and Ballet Austin, offered them a chance to see a live performance of The Nutcracker ballet called the "Unseen Ballet".The performance took place in Austin on December 5 at the Long Center.

The breakthrough technology uses a cutting edge camera, smart technology algorithms, and high-resolution screens to provide a crystal clear, real-time image of what is in front of the person using advanced assistive eyewear, ultimately enabling the user who is experiencing central vision loss to see and live independently with sight.

With her first couple of tries, Lily was overwhelmed. She described the technology to People.com with an analogy of seeing a black and white movie where she is able to change and adjust the colors on her computer.

Kimmy said there was no greater joy than seeing her daughter experience vision for the first time. She also said that she has great hope that the eSight glasses will change her experience in school and ultimately in life.

And to make the experience even more special, Lily has always been a fan of ballerinas and would spin endlessly even as a young child. Her parents are trying to find an all-abilities ballet class so she can continue to explore her love of dance.

Kimmy noted that Lily watched peacefully and calmly during the entire performance and that the whole experience was life-changing.

“It really is the sweetest thing for a mother to experience her child experiencing the world like never before," Kimmy told People.com.

Lily could see the dancers twirling and dancing, and could even appreciate the small details in the set including giant snowflakes and falling snow.

While the entire experience was completely magical for all of them, the cost of Lily's sessions is great and the family has established a crowdfunding page to help with the costs. But they continue with the therapy sessions, knowing that Lily's vision will change her life.

If you felt inspired by this special holiday story, or know anyone who has disabilities and could use a boost of hope, tell them about Kimmy's experience.