big news

big news, the metro newspaper i had an interview with came out last friday, and my website is finally up and running theblindkid.ca
i finished my good copy of my self portrait made from plasticine. i am sorry i havent blogged i was really sick last week.
i am starting filming next week for my skate vid.

Getting out there

Today my buddy cole texted me saying that he saw people at the Forks wearing TBK

iPad laptop

I got a remote desktop app for my iPad so I can control on my laptop with my iPad :-) so if I turn voiceover on I can still use my laptop

Art

In art class I use plasticine instead of drawing because I can feel what I do it in 3-D or indented today I finished my rough copy of my self-portrait that way and tonight destiny is doing the pictures editing then I will get them back

Pictures

The pictures went really well today Heather took amazing pictures of Ashley and the girls and me and the guys :-)

Website model

Tomorrow I am taking the pictures on my website. I need a girl to where the girl stuff to put up on the website. I am probably wearing the guy stuff to put up on the website.

Zip up pic

I took and put up a picture of myself wearing my zip up hoodie today :-) check it out

Drama class

Today was my first day of drama class and it was really different experience because we played very visual games but I really like it because it was a lot of fun

store

talking to the retailing class went fantastically today, they were mostly all in favour of selling my clothes at the schoolstorre . i also talked to kimberly dawn from qx104 today and thanked her for hooking me up with aaron prichett on quarry days and she wants to promote my clothes.







































the blind kid: school store http://bretttheblindkiddevloo.blogspot.com/2012/09/school-store.i am sorry i didnt blog yestarday i fell asleep.

school store

at the wedding i went to this weekend i realized i want to try djing again because i used to play around a bit and i loved it, but i only used my laptop and now i cant see it. i would have to use physical equipment. so i really want to try that.
i am starting filming tomorrow for the skate video i am doing.
on tuesday i am talking to the retailing class about having my clothes in the school store, witch will be really cool if it works out.
__TBK

in my specialized blind kid class today i got to use this drawing board thing, it had very thin acrylic paper with a very thin grid. the board has a sponge like thing i draw on. i use a stylus on it. doing this makes an imprint on the grid paper. i can feel the imprint it is called tactile.

i like watching old vhs's and dvd's because i have probably seen them enough times so i know exactly whats going on. its funny when i tell people is this what just happened and i will be right, it blows some adaptions there mind.
__TBK

website

at school today i walked into someone and they stopped me and grabbed my shoulder and was like i am so sorry! i was thinking oh um it was my fault... but i said no i am sorry.
so that was my school moment
now tonight i went to get my website started and we got a very good start on it you will be able to purchase my clothes on it using pay pal. it will have a live feed to all of my social networks including facebook probably both the page and my personal one, twitter @theblindkid, instagram @bretttheblindkid, and my blog. i will have a contact page where i will have my email and other such things, for suggestions and requests and anything.
__TBK

first day back

sso the first day of school since last year. i got used to the halls really fast considering i havent been in them since my vision got worse over the summer. i also got my lock done before anyone needed to help me i really shocked kash because he thought he was gonna have to do it for me but i remembered the numbers and everything without being told them.
i am not sure how many people wore tbk today but i know forsure one person put up a picture and that really got the word out thanks cody.
i am getting my website started tomorow :). i will keep you posted on the website .
who all wore tbk on the first day and did anybody get any comments on it?

Somewhat contest

On Saturday I will post a somewhat contest so check back then

I need a job

I am trying to look for a job. But just don't know what or where I can work I want to look at a skate shop because there is always that guy that just needs to answer questions and I could do that and I just need some extra spending money to put towards a clothing line and myself last weekend I was at the wedding and the bride and groom are going to Europe for their honeymoon and they wanted shirts that night so that they can take them with them and wear them
Do you have any suggestions or ideas where a blind kid can work :-)

Inspired

Cory days was a huge success and today I went skating and met a guy who is 90% death and I inspired him what inspires you

Friday day one

Got the booth set up now just wait tonight will be crazy

Quarry days

Quarry days this weekend will be huge I will blog tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday and Monday and Tuesday with pictures

New product

Got in the sweaters and some shirts with the new logo here's one

Sick skate day

Share or show to your friends

Street dance

crazy street dance weekend

so this weekend was unreal business wise and party wise, ill start on saturday because friday nothing really happened. i finally got to meet anjelo the bar owner from notre dame who has heard so much about me and vise versa, he is from california venice beah and has a long board over his bar and has been waiting to meet me to let me ride it. i rode the long board in the middle of main street infront of the bar i will put videos up on my brett the blind kid  facebook page. he told me he thought he would have to ride with me but i learnt all the tricks and basics he taught me within 10 seconds.

i also regular skateboarded on saturday night  it started out pretty hard but then it got a lot darker and that made it easier to skate because i could the edges from the light from the school, i worked my board in alot now i can land varial kickflips when i dont loose my wheel:P

the street dance was amazing, i sold 5 shirts i didnt think i was gonna sell, the first one i sold was to someone who saw me skating when they drove by i was just taking off my shirt karissa saw me. then i was mistaken for justin bieber and had a picture taken of me. i also was asked to take pictures with a couple other peaople :). the singer on stage anounced that i was selling shirts thanks to paul. my favorite part of the night was when i was recognized as the blind kid i over heard someone saying is that him is that the blind kid and someone else saying is that brett devloo!!

__TBK

Night vision

Haven't skated since my vision gotten a little bit worse. Since I can see better at night tonight and this weekend I'm going to try to skate at night I'll put up picture later

Sweaters

Sweaters are ordered should be here in about a month for sure by quarry days

Quarry days

Alright I'm going to be having a booth setup at Quarry days on August 17 weekend Il have my T-shirts and sweaters there :-)

Public speaking

First public speaking event today at the camp I got my speech already I think I've got this

It all matches right

Logo

Logo

Today

Hot 103 this morning check ace Burpe but two shirts and this afternoon I went to 204 talks to Chris helped out quite a bit

Countryfest

At country fest I was on the Jumbotron and my information and my shirt my parents went and spread the word they also got the shirt signed by Aaron Pritchett and he has a shirt and got donated $250 from there Neighbor nika and Brody a couple of 20 24-year-old

My parents and their new friends at country fest oh really spreading the word :-) apparently I might be getting a shirt signed by the Zack Brown band and Aaron Pritchett

change in vision

my vision is getting worse it is cloudier now and blurier than when i posted what it is like to see like me but on the upside i found something that takes off the blur and strain from my eyes, polarized sunglasses the ones that have worked the best so far that i have tried on were the ray ban wayfarers.

Getting out there

Ran into someone yesterday and the X wearing one of my shirts

Twitter

Follow me on twitter at theblind kid

First store

The shirts are officially on sale at Rockwood motorsports in Stonewall

Lockwood motorsports

I am bringing up the shirt to Rockwood motorsports tonight so you can buy them there as well

So I am going to be putting a YouTube video up of me skateboarding and talking about what is going on in general I am looking for a good filming and a good editor if you're interested email me or Facebook me the email is on the blog skate video

Rock wood motorsports

In the next couple of days I will bring shirts to Rockwood motorsports and that's where they will be sold :-)

Exams

For my exams I have someone who reads it to me and writes it for me :-)

who wants a shirt :)

the shirts are now here and on sale ! they are $20 each and $1 from every shirt sold will be donated to my foundation. types of shirts: GUYS -< black with white logo -< white with black logo -< green with black logo /white logo -< teal with white logo GIRLS(v necks/crew necks) -< black with green logo -< white with purple logo -< green with yellow logo -< teal with purple logo thanks to everyone who has already purchased a shirt and to stony mountain rec. baseball team if you want to see what one looks like look at my facebook page __TBK

tbk excuses

so here is a list of blind kid excuses : im blind. teacher" why were you late?" or " cant you see you are late" TBK" sorry bro i couldnt see the clock" "i got lost " " why clean my room i dont see any mess" " i dont see any homework " " i dont see any problem"

Shirts

I can't wait to see my shirts Just kidding I can't see LOL But really it's only one or two days until I get them

Paper

The news paper article was more or less success than I thought it would be

Skate

Isit weird a blind kid teaching someone how to skateboard

Inspire

What inspires you answer on my Facebook Page Brett the blind kid Devloo I want to hear I walked into a door again today LOL

business

when i was in the city yestarday i got some business, at spare parts the girl behind the counter remembered me and we talked a bit and she told me next time i come down to bring her a shirt :) i have recently been talking to an old friend ashley and she is still freaking out about me being blind and i told her three days ago it could have something to do with the fact that i was her in car driving partner :P

Polo adventures

Going shopping LOL I have to bring somebody with me to tell me what looks good and what is cool LOL not because I don't know what is cool but because I can't see what looks on me thank you Britney LOL:P

Classic

This morning I put my shorts on just to go eat in the kitchen and my dad came out and laughed, he said"you know you're wearing your shorts inside out" I said " yes…... Under my breath

TBK problems

Legit blind kid problem I just got lost into my driveway and somehow ended up in my backyard but I made it to the house LOL

Newspaper

Tribune today

city shinanegins

i was at the city today with kash and mitch we went to polo park and they helped me alot i was holding on to mitchs shirt and kash was guiding me :) i went to spare parts and looked at sunglasses and the ones i want really help they are polorized and the new wayfarers the lady at and w brought me my tray to where i was sitting. i also had some blind kid shenanigens i took a picture talking to a manican :P

Question

What inspires you?

stars

so theres only 7 days until the shirts i set up my trampoline today with christian and donnie, i wasnt going to set it up this year because i didnt know if it would work being blind then i was like pffft thats not stopping me :P it is infact very scary trying to jump:P but the first jump i did was a front flip and i landed on my feet i also had a bonfire this weekend, i realized i cant see the stars anymore or fireworks but i dont mind :P do you think it is cruel of the fire to get smoke in my eyes and i cant even see the smoke :P the tribune that i am in comes out on wednesday __TBK

facebook brett the blind kid devloo

i started a facebook page called "brett the blind kid devloo" like it for updates :P i had such a good skate today i was working on skating and doing legit flip tricks while using the white cane i lost my white cane this morning then went out to look for it at lunch but couldnt find it, then i went to the office and andrew v brought it in thanks man . that awkward moment when the blind kid loses his white cane :P __TBK day of waiting number2

interview after interview

interview after interviewthe countdown begins to the delivery day :) i had an interview with the local newspaper the tribune and he got pictures of me skateboarding with my cane and glasses

radio

busy day hot 103 today was a really amazing experience i had lots of fun and i know it helped alot :) when i got back to school so many people were like hey brettt i heard you on the radio :P and this summer i am going to be involved with miss teen winnipeg jennavives fashion show :) __TBK

i am thinking of starting a pre order sheet for my clothing incase people in school want some and i get them after school so i can get ahold of them. what do you think? __TBK

mobility

next monday joane micheaal and i are going on a mobility walk to dairy queen :P guess why i accepted the invite ericka and i went for a walk today and she is getting really good at walking with me and doing the blind kid thing :P __TBk

skate cane

i skateboarded with the white cane today and it works i can go fast again :P __TBK

my hearing

they say when you lose one sense the others step there game up, its true i have really good hearing and use it alot more. for example last night i was walking with a couple people and donnie said that he couldnt see anything i was like Hey, me too! :P. it was dark out and i couldnt see anything, i let go of erickas hand and walked towards breanna and she was walking backwards. i said to her you know i am goin from what i hear, she said i didnt know that, i knew where she was from her footsteps :P __TVK a

white cane

i always said i wouldn't use one and now i am borrowing one for a bit to try , i am not going to use it so much as for finding things in front of me but as a respect barrier if im in a crowded place and people dont know i am blind it is more to let people know. people dont always assume im blind while i am walking around carrying my skateboard :P the white cane will also make for some really cool skateboard pictures :D __TBK

successful day

at the carreer symposium for the disabled i went to today (i dislike how they have to label it ) i talked to people at a couple booths and susan gave me her email to contact her to talk one on one with the speaker who i missed he was for the be your own boss (entrapenour) his name is chris and he has low vision too. i now as of last week own a business, the blind kid is mine and under my name it is government approved. susan asked me to publically speak at a camp in the summer and tell my story. i was walking around after that booth and two girls ran up to me saying susan told them they have to talk to me, the one girl was miss team winnipeg, her name is jen and she asked me if she could put my blog on her website, and if i wanted to speak publically at another eventfor her. so all in all it was quite a successful day. the message i got from the carreer symposium was the posibilities are endless of what people can do.

the avengers

the movie the avengers was really good :) you may be wondering how i saw it, the answer is i didnt :P i just had a lovely lady with me :P ericka told me what what was going onvery time the scene changed, she told me the setting and if something visually funny or plot twisting happened :) __TBK

laptop

i am getting my laptop cleaned up and wiped of everything except for music and movies and i am getting a voice control thing put in it that will help so much

movies

so im taking ericka out to the avengers tomorow and then she was just being a doll and asked me if i want her to tell me whats going on in the movie :) thanks __TBK

mom

went for a walk in stony mountain with ericka and i thank you for not letting me walk into cars :P and i may have been in the right place at the right time :) happy mothers day mom i love you

city adventure

i went to the resteraunt carlos and murphy;'s in the city and when i was waiting for kestin wood and nakita she called me and as i was talking to her i could hear her around the corner before she could even see me :) then we crossed a busy road and made it that was when she noticed i was as blind as i am and realized i needed more help than she thought .after that kestin did help alot :)

theater

ii went to mtc last night i went with tyler and sat on the bus with brittney taylor and ericka erickson i didnt know them before yestarday and they helped me alot getting to our seats and ericka told me what was going on the whole time :) they were being dolls about the whole situation :P thanks girls and

walking adventures

i went on a walk with my friend kaitlyn jensen and we just walked around the bay a couple of times and talked and i didnt walk into anything and didnt walk offf the road at all. she tweeted ellen degenerous and febe from much music. thanks kaitlyn __TBK

just today

tttoday my eyes were pretty bad like quite blury. bot on the brighter note i had a great skate when it got brighter out because i could see the contrast in the ground change better. i really need good sunglasses though mine are not dark enough and not very clear to look through , then again they are knock-off rbs wayfarers from mexico :P

turned voice over on on my iphone and now i can use it for alot more :)

Walking.

Yesterday Bryelle Abbey, Riva Shelbey and I were in downtown winnipeg walking around with Bryelle on my right and Riva on my left. We were walking and it was really difficult to see. Then around 3-4:30ish it was getting alot better and I could see the stairs and doors and chairs but that didn't last long. When it was bad Bryelle helped me walk. Riva came and got me when I was forgotten at the blue slide park. Thanks girls

"__" TBK

Never Change.

When people say I'm so sorry like as in sorry for me all i say is why? Dont be :) I was dealt a bad card but you know what! I'm still me and I am never going to change :) There is only one of me and none like me in the world so I might as well make the most of it :) Thanks charlotte for mentioning me on HOT103 and Q104.

Changes.

The people at my school are so sweet when they say hey they will say who it its and when I bump into certain ones they add me on facebook ;) or when I accidentally walk into them they don't get a as mad lol

Recognition.

Childrens hospital charity on HOT103.1 and QX104.

Inspire.

When people act all shocked when I tell them what I'm all doing and that I am blind I tell them I'm 1 in 5 billion. There is only one like me in the world I better do something I might as well make the most of it. People say they can't do something because they don't think they can or they have something wrong,  I am like I am blind but I'm still going to try.  I used to help people physically like with cleaning up and other in the moment things but now I can't so this is my way of helping.  Whats stopping you from trying?  Whats the worst that can happen? You fail? Just get up and try again. I am already blind what other shenanigens can I get into.

  "live for everything, die for nothing". 

"__" TBK

Next year in school.

Next year I am taking this course called SIC, it is a specialized class I learn about and practice mobility and assistive technology and brail, and maybe some cooking. This will earn me a credit I really hope I have a spare because I skateboard every spare I have now.

Difficulties.

Yesterday my I was at Mcdonalds and my mom told me to watch her purse and make sure no one takes it :P i was like ok ... wait hey!  I wore stripes with plaid no one told me and I didnt notice that the shorts were plaid ... :P

Considerate :)

I was in notre dame de lordes manitoba and I was skateboarding in front of the school and I texted karina rourie saying I was infront of the school and she texted back saying she was in town, next thing i new i was practically jumped with a hug right off my board and i was like "karina ?" , yes she said , i said oh thank god !:) followed by her was sophi kendra liame and melisa i only knew karina and only met liame and kendra once they invited me to hang out with them and thewhole time we walked anywhere i had one girl on either side linked arms with me :P and they took turns moral ofthe story there are some great considerate people out there :) without knowing me they were willing to help
"__"  TBK

Good friends.

All you need is good friends and family what 17 year old guy will let his buddy hold onto the back of his shirt in a girl or "babe" infested career symposium and in downtown for a day. The blind kid buddy system with justin jensen. Thanks again bro.
"__" TBK

known

i love the walking around school and people happily saying hey blind kid :P or walking by and over hearing did you see his blog or the blind kid tbk

Music.

I used to DJ, while using the computer and can't use everything on the computer so I don't DJ anymore. I can play bass and I have drums. I sold my old electric and acoustic guitars. I can play saxaphone, and piano. The first time I played piano was 2 or 3 weeks ago. It was a sunday and the family rented out the friendship centre in Holand, Manitoba, its just a little hall. There was a piano there, people were just starting to arrive so I sat down and started playing around, getting a feel for it. Then my aunt came up to me and asked how long I have been playing piano I said "Umm roughly 20 minutes" :P She ment for how many years. They were asking my dad how long I've been playing and that I'm pretty good. I heard them say Ray Charles a couple times and I was thinking *bummer I was going for Stevie Wonder*.  :P

 On an unrelated topic if you have any questions or suggestions comment them :]

"__" T.B.K. Brett.

School and Facebook.

My iPad helps me so much with school and everything that involves reading, writing and typing on a computer. I have voice over on my ipad so it reads everything I do, when I tap on something it will read it and I have to double tap it to activate it, I also have a wireless keyboard for my iPad and when I type it reads it out for everything. It enables me to use Facebook, Blogger and anything on the internet. I type out all my assignments and email them to the teachers. I'm sure that answered alot of questions :]

"__" T.B.K. Brett.

Clothing Line.

for the clothing line i am going to start with just white t shirts with the logo on the front and get about 150 of them 75 guys and 75 girls 25 small 25 medium 25 large and 1 xxl for cole ill be selling those for about $15

What I see.

So to give you a visual on my sight:

 It's like holding a strong led to your eye in the middle of your sight for about 3 minutes and then taking it away and you have a bright spot in the middle of your sight no matter where you look for about a minute or so. If you don't know what thats like it's also like after a really good flash from a camera and you have that spot in your sight for a couple seconds its like that but it doesn't go away for me. It is also blury in my periferals bright lights make the blind spot bigger and sometimes the blind spot will look like something i saw earlier like maybe a pole. Shadows and poles look similar, I see better at night and it's not because it's dark even when I turn off the lights in the day, i still see the same the blind spot, only it's smaller at night.

"__" T.B.K. Brett

Fundraising/charity thought.

I think for the fundraising part of the clothing line T.B.K I will start a fundraiser/charity so that forsure $1 per sweater, shirt, and hat sold will go towards an ipad for a kid with a visual impairment or someone with Leber's and eventually i will increase the amount donated.

The Beginning.

Hey,
My name is Brett, I'm sixteen years old and I live in Stonewall, Manitoba.

Five months ago I was sitting in histiory class trying to read notes but having more troubles than usual. Our teacher, Mr. Morris, usually prints all his notes out by hand and I couldnt seem to focus on the words properly. The projecter was really blurry and it was making me angry because just two days earlier I could read it without struggle. I was worried so at lunch I walked to the eye clinic in town and booked an appointment for 2:20 pm, so they wrote me a note to give to the teacher.In physics I gave Mr.Morris the note headed back to the clinic. When I got there I had to do the initial tests, but I couldn't even see the little balloon at the end of the road in the machine.

Once I got in the room with Dr.Dunford she did all the tests after I told her what was up and I failed them all. I couldn't see the large E on the top of the chart,... well in this case the wall projecter. At this point she was on the phone with my mom telling her this is not small, this is big... this is serious. She told us to go see Dr.Dookeran who is a eye specialist .Dr.Dunford was proud of me for being responsible and coming on my own when I knew something was wrong. When she checked out my eyes she said they look normal. I didn't know what to think.

Dr.Dookeran put me through different tests and I passed them all except one . He also said my eyes look fine. He told me and my mom to go see another specialist and took 3-4 vials of blood. On to the next specialist, Dr.Rahman (or something like that).The building was really modern looking on the inside. She did the same thing that was tested on me before,  she looked at my eyes and said they look fine too. I was starting to get really worried. She then scheduled me to see a neurologist to get an MRI and to see a different specialist, Dr.Clark . I saw him 2 or 3 times before I had the MRI and he took blood every time. They were testing me for all sorts of things. I hate needles for the record. He also did the same tests that the other specialist did and checked my eyes, still he said they looked fine.

By now with all the tests we have ruled out alot of things including Glaucoma, so that was a relief. Dr.Clark was taking special interest in my situation because they had no idea why I was going blind and they knew I have a nystagmus, but it has nothing to do with my sight it just makes it difficult for the doctors to look in my eyes. It also made me a prime subject for something to pick on when I was in grade one (haha) . The nystagmus is a mutation in my dna code. Having that alone is rare.

The nerolagist did different tests more physical ones, he would poke my arm with a paper clip and with his finger to see if I could tell the difference between the two, like if the message was getting from my sense of feel to my brain. His tests were more oldschool and I passed them all easily, concluding that it probably wasnt in my brain. He also made me get blood drawn . I then had a regular doctors appointment and she wanted to also test me for things so that ment more blood work and this one was testing for mono. By the end of this I was surprised that I'm not anemic. The test came back negative for mono.

Then I went for the MRI , the nurse had told me that I need an IV, which I really didn't want, so we argued for a bit until I finally agreed. The MRI was incunclusive, my brain was good and tumar free so that ruled out yet another thing. I saw Dr.Clark a few more times getting bloodwork each time ruling out more and more things. The last test I did was a DNA test checking for something called Leber's which is very rare (only 5,000 people in the states have it out of 3.8 million). Leber's is also a mutation with the dna. They said that the chances of me getting 2 mutations with codes in my DNA were too low . The test was only supposed to take 6-8 weeks. 12 weeks later we finally got the results back my parents got the results on the wednesday of spring break and told me on the monday after so they didnt ruin my spring break.

The test results came back positive for Leber's... I have 2 mutations with my DNA codes. They said wouldn't happen so that makes me 1 in 5 billion. Yeah, those are my statistics. :) That also means im going to be blind forever :( .

I'm trying to live life to the fullest, I love to skateboard and have been skating since I was 6. I wanted to be an electrition, plumber or in heating and a/c but I dont know many people that would hire a blind electrition :P. I used to be a pretty good at drawing. I loved to drive. But just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying.(except the driving part I hope!)  I still skate, I'm starting a clothing line called T.B.K. ( The blind kid). I'm going to start with just a dollar from every shirt. The proceeds will be donated to a fondation supporting the visually impared. I'm just not sure which one yet if I'm going to make a charity or find a good thing to donate to like buying an ipad for a visually impaired person who needs it . Ten people from my moms work came together and gave me $850 for me to get an ipad and it helps so much with school. It is what I'm writing this on right now. Not every blog will be this long, don't worry. (haha) I'll keep you up to date. If you actually read all of that I appriciate it.

"__"  T.B.K. Brett.

[edited by Bella ]