‘I have so much pride in my heart for her’
“When Maycie was in elementary school, things were great. It was so wonderful. The kids were nice. The teachers were great. And then junior high and high school just weren’t. Her school work wouldn’t be modified for her. The curriculum wasn’t accessible anymore. By ninth grade, she was being bullied.
“I remember when she was in track. They would go outside to practice, and she would need a friend to run as a sighted guide. The girls would argue in front of her about who was going to have to run with her. There were a couple times where she called me from the locker room because the other girls left her there by herself. So she couldn’t get out to the track. It took me a long time to get over that anger and that hurt.
“She started to flip into a really deep depression. It began in junior high. We just chalked it up to junior high being hard. It was for all my kids, not just for her. But by freshman year, she wouldn’t get out of bed. She was sad and angry all the time. She begged and begged and begged to please let her go to Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin. Ultimately, we decided that was the best place for her to learn and to grow. And it’s been great. She became happy again.
“So many school districts just aren’t equipped to handle totally blind children. Her main means of learning is Braille. In Austin, she was able to access her curriculum, and she was thriving. Sports was always a big deal for her. She played softball and ran track. But when she got to high school, it wasn’t easy. She never won a race because everybody was sighted, and she had to run with someone. When she went off to Texas School for the Blind, it was an even playing field. Whether you’re blind or visually impaired, everybody has to wear a blindfold. She started winning and excelling and advancing in sports. That does a lot for self-confidence.
“The biggest change I’ve seen in her is independence and happiness. Maycie’s 18 now, and she’s a wonderful advocate for herself. She’s done amazing. They say you’re not supposed to be prideful. But I have so much pride in my heart for her and how far she’s come in life.”
— Brandi Gonzalez
At Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Maycie is cheer captain, runs track, is on the swim team, plays goalball (chosen for the All-American team), is student body secretary, president of Leo Club, and a member of the National Honor Society. She plans to pursue a career as a child life specialist on a pediatric oncology unit.
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