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Inspired, Driven and Always Looking Forward
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When Tiffany Chartier was 15-years old, her father, Doug, went to the eye doctor because he was having difficulty following the ball while playing tennis and golf. Tiffany decided to go with him to the appointment for moral support. But Tiffany was in for the shock of her life when the doctors asked to examine her eyes as well. They determined that not only did her dad have retinitis pigmentosa (RP), but she had it as well. “It completely changed our world,” Tiffany recalls. “As we were driving home, I was thinking how unfair it seemed. As a 15-year-old, I wasn’t thinking that I could get something so horrible. Your worst fear at that age is that your boyfriend is going to breakup with you.”
While the diagnosis was devastating, Tiffany was determined not to let RP control her life. She says, “I knew I could either suffocate in bitterness and fear, or I could continue forward and realize that this is just a chapter in my story. It didn’t have to be the ending. I was still the author of my story.” As a criminal justice student at the University of North Texas (UNT), Tiffany excelled, achieving a 4.0 grade point average in her major and serving as president of the Criminal Justice Honors Society. She gave the commencement speech for her graduating class and was selected as UNT’s “Woman of the Year.” Her ultimate goal was to become a Secret Service agent and the next step in the process was to get an internship at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in New Mexico. Never before had the Academy had a female intern, but after three tries, Tiffany became the first. However, just a few months into the program, she realized that there was no way she could become an agent because of her vision loss. “Who would have let me carry a gun?” she laughs. Today, Tiffany is a well published Christian writer (www.tiffanychartier.com), photographer, wife, and mother of three: Holt (13), Brighton (10), and Izzy (6). The news that Holt had RP was at first crushing for her. An active kid who enjoys soccer and other sports, Holt is learning how to adjust to his condition, and he’s become his own advocate for his needs. Tiffany admits that she has had a difficult time going public about her RP, but credits her husband, Todd, with helping her overcome her inhibitions, fears, and embarrassment. “I didn’t want to appear vulnerable to anyone. For a long time, many of my friends didn’t know,” she says. Ultimately, Holt’s vision loss inspired Tiffany and the rest of the family to get active in FFB’s VisionWalk program. Last year, their 70-person team, Holt’s Heroes, raised $20,000 for the Dallas VisionWalk. Todd and Tiffany have joined Congressman Pete Sessions as co-chairs for the 2nd annual Dallas VisionWalk on May 16, 2009. Holt is actively promoting VisionWalk at school, and Tiffany’s father, Doug, is a corporate sponsor for a second year. “Last year, when all those people showed up in their blue shirts that said Holt’s Heroes, I was so humbled and thankful. It fueled my desire to not only find a cure for my son, but for everyone with a retinal degenerative disease. It’s like planting a tree – I want that investment to still be growing long after I am gone.” |
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