Vision Heroes Unite - A Story on the Impact of Chance
Matt Keolanui, a San Diego native, grew up playing every sport you could think of. Now, as a 23-year-old college student, he continues to lead his life through his love of sports despite challenges. At just 9 years old, Matt began to struggle in school, and he was having a difficult time seeing the whiteboard in his classroom. He did not think much of it, but after returning from a field trip to Old Town, he tried to look up something in his dictionary and realized he couldn’t see. He knew something was wrong.
After various trips to the doctor, he was diagnosed with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). Matt and his family were not surprised by the diagnosis because his older brother was also diagnosed with LHON a few years prior. What was shocking was that Matt was only 9 years old. At the time, the typical age range for the LHON diagnosis was 17-25. (Since then, the age range for an LHON diagnosis has been updated to 10-30 years old.)
Upon Matt’s diagnosis, he was no longer playing sports, and he felt lost. A few months passed when Matt’s neighbor showed his mother a news article about an extraordinary young college student who had been on the SDSU golf team and diagnosed with LHON. The neighbor expressed he did not know if they had the same diagnosis, but the golfer was having a fundraiser. As it turns out, this news article would forever change 9-year-old Matt’s life.
The young golfer in the newspaper article was Vision of Children’s “Vision Hero and Ambassador” Jeremy Poincenot. Meeting Jeremy changed Matt’s life. Jeremy’s outlook on the challenges faced by those with LHON inspired Matt.
Fast forward 13 years, and Matt says laughter is the key to his success. Being able to understand that his diagnosis does not define him and being able to laugh at himself has completely changed his outlook on life. Along with his positive mindset, Matt has utilized technology such as CCTV to magnify words on paper. CCTV allowed him to read small print growing up, but he could only see a few words on the screen, making it hard to keep up with his classmates. Growing up, the kids around him did not always understand why he needed to use these technologies to see and learn, but as computers became more integrated into school systems, Matt learned to adapt. Matt participated in various high school sports, including basketball, swimming, and wrestling.
Today, Matt is planning to transfer to San Diego State University to study Business Administration. He works for the San Diego Padres in Event Operations and at Nordstrom as a Salesperson. He continues to play sports and has a passion for music. Matt and Jeremy continue to be very close, and he is inspired to help others with visual impairment. Matt selflessly shares his story with others in between his responsibilities, hoping to be a source of light for those diagnosed with vision disorders. His goal is to show them it is okay to laugh at yourself, find your passion, and pursue your dreams.