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WASHINGTON, Washington County — In a world often perceived through sight, one woman defies limitations with a brush in hand and an extraordinary vision that transcends the boundaries of blindness. She's challenging perceptions of disability and redefining the power of artistic expression.
"I've eaten a considerable amount of moldy food," artist Kimberly Jackson said, laughing.
Jackson entered the world with a birth defect that medical experts later identified as bilateral retinal coloboma. This condition affects both eyes, with the anomaly occurring around the retinas. In simpler terms, a coloboma occurs during eye formation, where the eye starts flat and then rolls into a tube resembling a toilet paper roll. One end becomes the iris, while the other seals around the optic nerve to form the retina.
Due to this condition, Jackson has minimal retinal tissue, resulting in the insides of her eyes appearing pale yellow instead of the usual deep orange or red. This heightened sensitivity to light makes eye strain very painful.
Read the full article at St. George News.
