Nearly blind mountain climber keeps pursuing his high goals

By DAVID CASSTEVENS

dcasstevens@star-telegram.com

Justin Grant loved building model airplanes.

As a boy, he pictured himself one day strapped into the cockpit of an F-14 fighter jet, screaming above the clouds like those daring young pilots in the 1980s movie Top Gun.

In high school, the teenager shared his lifelong dream with military recruiters.

Not surprisingly, they never called him back.

"I don’t think they want blind people flying $60 million planes," Grant said with a smile.

Diagnosed in the fifth grade with a rare early onset form of macular degeneration, the 21-year-old University of North Texas student has leaned on his religious faith and learned through new friendships to count his blessings and feel grateful for life’s opportunities.

Grant discovered another way — one he never imagined — to experience exhilaration at high altitude.

Three years ago, he became a mountain climber.

Grant filled his lungs with the rarefied air from the 19,340-foot top of Kilimanjaro.

This summer he climbed majestic Mount Rainier.

In the company of sighted, totally blind and other visually impaired mountaineers, Grant has found peace of mind and come to terms with the disease that is robbing him of his vision.

"Going blind has definitely been more a blessing than a curse," Grant said. "For me, it opened up the door to climbing. Blind people can climb mountains, as weird as it sounds.  . . .  I’m doing things now that I once thought weren’t reasonable."

Rising to the challenge

At age 10, Grant learned why he was having difficulties at school.

He has Stargardt’s disease, a genetic condition that affects about 1 in 10,000 children. The disease is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed during the first few years of onset. Symptoms include blurry or distorted vision and an inability to see in low lighting.

Progressive loss of central vision leads to legal blindness.

Growing up, Grant couldn’t see well enough to play baseball or football. As an adolescent, he didn’t want friends to think of him as different. He only wanted to fit in and be treated like everyone else.

He resisted — often resented — those who offered him help.

"Justin didn’t want to talk about it," his father said. "He didn’t want people to know."

Stargardt’s disease is incurable, and its progress unpredictable.

Grant only knew for certain that he was remarkably unlucky. Unlike others, he couldn’t see in high definition. He would never wear a pilot’s flight suit. Or drive a car. Over time, his visual world would narrow, and his color images dim, little by little.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

Stargardt’s disease can’t be corrected by prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses.

But the young man’s life took a turn upward — literally — after his junior year at Kennedale High School. Kevin Markel is a Division for Blind Services counselor with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.

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