Sharon’s early years were overshadowed by the significant challenge of progressive blindness. However, she refused to let her vision define her. Through her blog, “The Sight Seeing Blind Bride,” she has found her true calling as a storyteller who lives her truth as a happy, blind mom and wife.
Cape Town, South Africa (06 July 2025) – We are not defined by our limitations. In an inspiring testimony, South African blogger, Sharon, otherwise known online as The Sight Seeing Blind Bride, has shared how she’s overcome the struggles of gradually losing her eyesight from a young age, being misdiagnosed, putting her dreams on hold, and later finding her purpose.
Sharon admits that even as a young girl who grew up in the Cape Flats, she always knew something wasn’t quite right with her eyes. She often struggled to see the blackboard in class, but it wasn’t until she was nine that she got her first pair of glasses. Yet even then, she didn’t fully understand what was happening with her sight.
“By the time I was twelve, I realised I couldn’t see at night.
“Things got harder through high school. I always sat in front of the classroom, hiding how bad my vision really was,” Sharon shares.
She finally consulted an eye specialist in Grade 12, only to later find she was misdiagnosed with what he believed to be a delayed optic nerve.
“He recommended a special school, but my mom refused. She believed in me, and with the help of a friend who read from the board, I pushed through. I still don’t know how I passed, because I couldn’t even read my own notes, but somehow, I made it. I think my strong memory helped a lot,” Sharon recalls.
Without knowing what exactly was wrong, she decided against studying further after matric. It was in 2014 that she was finally diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that slowly takes away your vision.
“There is no cure. I saved up for genetic testing, but the results were unclear, they only found one faulty gene, when two are needed for a confirmed diagnosis.”
A turning point came when she connected with the Cape Town Society for the Blind, where she reclaimed her independence, having learned how to use a computer and a phone with special software.
“I even earned my International Computer Driving Licence and did an office admin internship through the EPWP programme.”
Her journey led her to love, marriage, and motherhood, proving that “love really is blind”, as she puts it.
In 2018, Sharon started her blog The Sight Seeing Blind Bride and became a storyteller.
“I share my story, my thoughts, my life. It became my open journal to the world. Because of this blog, I now do motivational talks and workshops with businesses, students, and others, helping them understand that disability doesn’t mean inability.”
Even though she has lost so much of her sight, Sharon knows that she hasn’t lost her power.
“I am still a woman, a wife, a mother. I love adventures, exploring animals, centuries, beach walks, mountain views, and even going to the cinema with my husband. I do things differently, but I do them with all my heart,” she says.
In 2024, she was given two amazing opportunities, to write for a magazine and to write a book!
“I became one of 64 authors who contributed to a book called Our Story Holds Our Cure, a beautiful collection that celebrates our South African heritage.”
Once a girl struggling with gradual blindness in the Cape Flats, Shaon never imagined her life would take such a dramatically beautiful turn.
Through her life’s journey and stories, Sharon hopes to show the world that blind people can live full, exciting, and beautiful lives.
“We don’t need pity. We need to be seen. We need to be heard.”
“This is my story. And I hope it inspires you to see that even when life changes, you can still rise.”
Sources: The Sight Seeing Blind Bride
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