10-year-old girl prepares to compete in national braille spelling bee competition
ELKHART, IN. (WSBT) — A 10-year-old girl is being called an inspiration and has been recognized nationally for her braille accomplishments.
“There are about 40 words you have to spell," according to Willow.
Her mom, Ash-lee, said it all started when she was born and doctors told her Willow was blind. Immediately, Ash-lee started learning braille, knowing it would become an essential part of her daughter's life.
Literacy has always been something that has been very important to me and I wanted to pass that on to my kids,” Ash-lee said.
Willow has been studying braille since the age of three but also teaches other kids about being blind.
“I talked to them about braille and how it works and how I got blind - and now I have a bunch of friends,” said Willow.
Now, her accomplishments are being recognized on a national stage. At the end of June, Willow will compete against other kids from around the world. The Braille Challenge Finals will test Willow on spelling and comprehension.
When the family was notified about the competition, the community pitched in to make the trip possible.
I am getting a little emotional thinking about it because just knowing how much I love my child, I think all parents are biased and think their kid is phenomenal, but seeing my whole community rally around my daughter in the massive endeavor has been so humbling,” Ash-lee said.
Many will tell you Willow has been an inspiration.
The self-proclaimed people-person, who likes to talk to everyone is teaching adults an important lesson in life.
It’s not about being blind or deaf or having any kind of condition. It’s not about that it’s really about what you do and helping and trying your best,” said Willow.
While the focus now is on the upcoming competition, the sky is the limit.
“I want to be a music producer but if I couldn’t do that I would be a teacher or chef,” Willow said.
Ash-Lee and Willow have started a fundraiser to help them reach the finals.