[Cagdu] Happy Halloween backFw: [BeachCities] High School Runner and Her Seeing Eye Dog Inspire and Make History

[Juliett Cody]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Fred's ol' XP 
To: BeachCities 
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 1:23 PM
Subject: [BeachCities] High School Runner and Her Seeing Eye Dog Inspire and Make History


  

by Jillian at Tails



High School Runner and Her Seeing Eye Dog Inspire and Make History
October 24, 2011 in Cincinnati, Featured, Home by Jillian at Tails 
  

Photo Credit: Mansfield News Journal

Sami and Chloe are the true definition of a team. Sami Stoner, a junior at Lexington high school in Ohio has met a myriad of challenges head on, with conviction, and purpose. She is the kind of young lady who does not believe in the word "can't". Sami has not just pursued, but demanded the opportunity to meet her goals and achieve her dreams. At age 16, Sami is legally blind, but she wasn't born with this disability. Her story is truly inspirational.

Sami has always been an athletic girl who loved running. She ran not just for the competition, but out of sheer enjoyment, and she was very good at it. However, she started experiencing vision problems in eighth grade at age 14. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with a hereditary disease called Stargardt disease. This disease causes rapid macular degeneration which destroys central vision leaving only a bit of peripheral vision. Her family was devastated, but Sami refused to give up her love of running.

Determined to defy the odds, she ran with a teammate, Hannah. They were inseparable and Hannah gave Sami verbal cues on where to go and what lay in the path ahead making running possible. When Hannah graduated it seemed as if Sami was destined to give up running, but she wouldn't take no for an answer and pressed on.

As the disease further robbed her of her vision she was presented an opportunity, a seeing eye dog. Sami's first question was, could the dog help her run. She received ambiguous answers. Ultimately, the answer was yes, but many cautioned against it. It was a very rare feat few had successfully accomplished. Sami made up her mind to be one of the few and welcomed Chloe with open arms, an open heart, and a spirit and strength echoed loud and clear by Chloe, the golden retriever who became her seeing eye dog and trusted companion.

Sami and Chloe worked long hard hours to develop a rhythm and become one runner. The results were amazing. With Hannah, a human companion runner, Sami finished an Ontario cross country race with a time of 31:19 and with Chloe ,Sami improved her time in the same race to 30:24. Sami and Chloe share a deep trust and the will to succeed- together.

They have beaten the odds and continue to make their dreams a reality. This amazing duo has a lot to teach the world. The love and trust between an individual and their animal companion can move mountains and make the impossible, possible. 
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