Canadian family travels the world before children lose their eyesight

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A family from Quebec has taken a series of rare genetic conditions and turned them into an uplifting reason to travel the world.

Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier were given difficult news when told that their firstborn, Mia, who was just three years old, had vision problems.

A specialist told the parents that Mia had been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition that causes a complete loss or steep decline of eyesight over time. There is currently no cure for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), but low-vision aids and rehabilitation training programs can help make the most of people’s failing vision.

As if the odds of little Mia’s RP weren’t minute enough, Lemay and Pelletier started noticing the vision in their two sons, Colin (seven) and Laurent (five), was also in decline. In 2019, Colin and Laurent were also diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. The oldest son, Leo (nine), is the only child in the nucleus family without RP.

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As a result, the two parents decided to immerse the children with “visual memories,” as requested by an eyesight specialist. According to the family’s social media channels — which document their entire journey — Lemay and Pelletier began making plans to travel the world with their kids before their vision waned for good.

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Initially set to journey the globe in 2020, the family of six had to readjust their plans due to the pandemic.

In March 2022, the family left Montreal and began their global excursion in Namibia, getting up close to safari animals before heading to Zambia, Tanzania, Turkey, Mongolia, and Indonesia.

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The family says they plan to travel around the world over the course of an entire year in a “quest to fill their visual memories.”

Before setting off on the inspiring adventure, the Lemay-Pelletier family said they created a bucket list of experiences they wanted to accomplish. Mia wanted to go horseback riding, and Laurent wanted to drink juice while riding a camel.

Follow the family on their Instagram and Facebook pages, “Plein Leurs Yeux” (“Full of their eyes” in English), for more motivating adventure updates.

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