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Monday 20 August 2018

Paloma's Dream by Paloma Rambana


I don’t normally read books like this…but something grabbed my attention when I was given the opportunity to read it. Paloma Rambana co-wrote and self-published a book about how she lobbied Floridian legislature for funds for blind and visually impaired youngsters. What I was smitten by was the fact that Paloma is twelve years old and was born with Peters Anomaly. Peters Anomaly is a rare eye condition in which the central part of the cornea (that’s the transparent front part of the eye) is hazy, thereby considerably reducing vision. Aware that the financial help for visually impaired children was seriously lacking, Paloma takes enormous strides (for someone so very young) to secure a million-dollar funding.


Being British, a lot of the processes, legal bodies, etc., were totally unfamiliar to me, but the purpose and the cause are shared by many countries. Typically, there are glaringly insufficient funds for children/adults with special needs. 


I hoped this wasn’t going to be a ‘aren’t I a wonderful person, dealing with my disability so valiantly’ kind of book. It’s the absolute opposite. Paloma is an intelligent, well-adjusted, non-self-pitying young girl who does her utmost to lead a normal life (and all credit to her parents and sister who never indulged her disability but helped her embrace it) and it has to be said, a very determined and courageous one.


This a seventy-nine page account written by a very charming girl who will go far.


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