On 20 Sep 97 05:08, Chief@Crown.Net wrote:
 Ch> Did anyone catch the program last
 Ch> night about Cara Dunne who is
 Ch> 27 years old and had eye cancer when
 Ch> she was little and had both eyes
 Ch> removed and went on to become a blind
 Ch> skier and also a blind tandom
 Ch> bike rider in the summer olympics and
 Ch> also graduated from harvard
 Ch> with a degree in law? That is a
 Ch> positive story the media has shown
 Ch> about what blind people CAN do.
Deb:
I must respectfully disagree.  It was a "wail and wonder" story!  
If I remember correctly, the ophthalmologist moaned and groaned 
about how he agonized over the problem -- as if any sane 
individual would think for two seconds when faced with a choice of 
near-certain death versus blindness!  Also, if I remember 
correctly, he maintained that was the only case of retinoblastoma 
(or, at least, bilateral retinoblastoma) he'd ever seen.  Say 
what?  There are a number of retinoblastoma-blinded persons in the 
Portland-Vancouver area alone!
Plus there were any number of negative remarks concerning what 
various people thought blind persons could do and it was presented 
as darn near a miracle that this wonder-girl had done so well!  
The emphasis was on what she had lost and how she had overcome 
great tragedy.
I take nothing away from the girl's accomplishments.  Bravo to 
her.  But she's a bright girl (my experience with retinoblastoma 
kids is that they're sharp as tacks!).  She also had people who 
loved her and gave her opportunities to succeed.  Would that more 
blind persons had such love and opportunities.  I only hope the 
girl isn't warped by the TV presentation!
Just one curmudgeon's opinion.
Mike Freeman
--- PCRR QWK 1.60
--- FLAME v1.1
---------------