Teacher helps secure donated eyes
Confidence. Courage. Vision.
Sam Houston High School junior Dayanara Sanchez has never let blindness define her. A history lover, talented writer and passionate advocate, she radiates determination and grace.
But this spring break, thanks to a powerful act of kindness from someone who believed in her – her teacher – and a pair of custom, hand-painted prosthetics eyes, Sanchez’ confidence began to shine even brighter.
That someone was Allie Dull, an Arlington ISD teacher for students with visual impairments. Dull saw more than a student trying to get through school without the ability to see, she saw a future leader with so much potential.
“I reached out to different doctors in the area and said, ‘If anyone has any extra funding, this is the student you need to give it to,’” Dull said.
After a negative experience with prosthetic eyes in the past, Sanchez was ready to give them another go. She was born with microphthalmia, a congenital condition where the eyes are unusually and noticeably small.
“She was curious about trying them again,” Dull said. “Preparing for college, wanting to have her best going forward and having that confidence.”
Her determination paid off with a special Valentines Day phone call from Fort Worth Eye Prosthetics Inc. After learning about Sanchez’ story, they offered to cover the full cost of the prosthetic eyes – an incredible gift worth $5,000 to $10,000 per eye.
Each eye was carefully designed and painted by ocularist Kimberly Robles, to help Sanchez feel more like herself.
And it made a difference.
“I’ve become more interested in doing my makeup,” Sanchez said. “It’s wonderful to notice the difference and learn how to apply it on my own. They make me feel better about the way I look. Not that I wasn’t confident before, but they just add something really special.”
For Sanchez, the impact was personal – but now she is impacting others.
“You’ve got a beautiful story to tell,” said Sam Houston principal Juan Villareal. “I know you’re going to inspire so many people.”
And that inspiration is already in motion. Sanchez uses a Braille Note [an intelligent device that combines the simplicity and accessibility of a note taker with the power and efficiency of a modern smartphone or tablet] in class and doesn’t shy away from speaking up – like when she traveled to the Texas Capitol to deliver a moving speech on gun violence in April.
“She’s amazing,” Dull said. “She’s been so open to all of these new opportunities. This was her first time away from home and getting to stay the night somewhere, and she did it. She had the courage to do it all. She went through the airport and did everything. It was great, the first flight of many!”
Behind her transformation was a team that believed in her – and it all started with Dull’s advocacy.
“I want to commend you for doing this and taking interest in our students,” Villareal said to Dull. “This makes me happy that we have educators like you who care so much about our students. It takes a very special person like yourself to work with our kids.”
For Robles, the decision was also personal.
“The fact that somebody was vouching for her is amazing,” Robles said. “I am so happy that I said yes. A lot of what stood out to me is the fact that she wants to go to college – and I think that is so awesome. I wanted to do this for her so that she can go to college. She’s a young girl wanting to accomplish her dreams, and if she felt like this was a setback, I just wanted her to feel confident and accomplish those things. I was that girl at one point, too.”
And for that, Sanchez couldn’t be more grateful.
“It’s amazing that I got this opportunity,” she said. “I appreciate so much what the prosthetics have done for me!”
All thanks to the vision from the teacher who believed in her potential and took action.
“This is all just falling into place and it’s so beautiful,” Dull said. “She’s spreading her wings!”