[nfbmi-talk] just a nice story

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Wed May 5 22:08:48 UTC 2010


http://www.tctimes.com/articles/2010/05/05/news/local/doc4be17cf10f7de305131613.txt

Blind since birth, local fourth-grader to portray Queen of Hearts in play

 

By Jan Rynearson

 

Published: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 10:58 AM EDT

 Jessica Lemond, 9, a fourth-grade student at Davisburg Elementary School in Holly, will portray the Queen of Hearts in the Kidz Theatre Kompany (KTK) production

of “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” being staged at Fenton Village Playhouse, Friday, May 7 through Sunday, May 10.

 

 “Jessica is doing well in her role, even though she’s never seen the other members of the cast,” said Rodney Green, a trustee of Kidz Theatre Kompany.

 

 “Due to a condition called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, she has been blind since birth with her vision being limited to a slight perception of light and

dark.”

 

 KTK has an all-inclusive policy, accepting all youngsters who want to perform on stage. Their plays often include kids who are acting with various disabilities.

 

 Jessica lives in Davisburg with her parents, Darin and Deanna, and her brother Dilon. She has been successful in a wide range of challenging activities.

The Holly Bronchos Youth Cheerleader is accustomed to performing before crowds.

 

 At school, Jessica gets strong support and is provided with the best adaptive technologies, which allows her to function with a high degree of independence.

Her teacher, Julianne Strong, said, “It is a pleasure to have Jessica in class. She is enthusiastic, kind and has a great sense of humor. Her love for

acting, singing and dancing comes through in just about every area of school, even science.”

 

 Swimming is her favorite athletic activity, but during the winter, she spends a lot of time downhill skiing at Pine Knob. She is a member of a group called

Optical Illusions, a blind skiers association of Michigan.

 

 Katie Carr, one of the producers of the play, said, “All the kids get a kick out of Jessica’s sense of humor. She’s a creative and dependable actress and

gets the job done on stage. We hope she’ll be back for more shows.”

 

Tri-County Times > News > Local > Blind since birth, local fourth-grader to portray Queen of Hearts in play



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