CVHS student with rare eye disorder celebrates upcoming graduation
Thousands of Coachella Valley students are less than a week away from graduating from high school, but it's an extra special occasion for one local student.
In a few days, Esmeralda Vargas will be the first in her family to receive her high school diploma.
"I feel excited and proud of myself," Vargas told Telemundo 15's Marco Revuelta.
Her happiness is evident, but as she points out, her road to graduation has been one filled with setbacks. During her freshman year, Vargas was diagnosed with Leber Congenital Amaurosis, a rare type of inherited eye disorder that causes severe vision loss.
LCA is found in two to three out of every 100,000 babies. It's inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, which means that both parents must carry a defective gene for the condition in order to pass it on to their children, according to UCSF Health.
Vargas says that the disorder led to difficult days.
"I became very depressed, I didn't want to go to school, I didn't finish my work and it became very difficult to make friends," Vargas said.
But thanks to the support of her family and teachers, Vargas managed to change his mood and was motivated to complete his studies.
"That they believe in me, they knew I could do it," Vargas said.
Vargas' parents said that her eye disease is degenerative and there is a possibility that one day she will lose her sight completely.
Two of Vargas' siblings also have the condition.
"I wanted to teach them that they can do whatever they want and they can achieve all the goals that other people can even if they have a disability," Vargas said.
The 18-year-old will attend College of the Desert after graduating from Coachella Valley High School. She plans to become a lawyer or a psychologist.
Vargas said she is sharing her story to inspire others to achieve their goals no matter what challenges life brings.
"I would tell people who feel like giving up, to keep going, because I know life can be very difficult, but don't put pressure on yourself that other people are going a different pace than you," Vargas said.
Vargas will graduate from Coachella Valley High School on June 1, which will be held at the Tennis Gardens in Indian Wells.
