That afternoon, I was swinging as high as possible in our neighborhood playground, enjoying the sensation of flying. A boy who lived on my street was standing nearby, teasing me.
“Bet you can’t go higher than that!” he teased.
“Watch me!” I shot back.
Suddenly, someone shoved me from behind. My fingers slipped from the chains, sending me flying backward. My head struck a jagged rock beside the playground’s mulch border with a horrible crack.
I remember nothing about the ambulance.
My next memory was waking in a hospital bed, hearing my mother sob while doctors discussed “optic nerve damage” and “severe trauma.”
They performed two operations, but neither restored my vision.
My world had become completely dark.
Continue on the next page:
