Christian Guardino from American Idol 2022 was declared legally blind many years ago, however, he is not vision impaired anymore.
According to the USA today, Christian Guardino is counting his blessings after he secured the Top 20th position on American Idol. The 22-year-old shared about his retinal disease and told how facing those challenges as a child has helped him appreciate his time on “Idol” even more.
Is Christian Guardino From American Idol 2022 Blind?
Christian Guardino from America Idol 2022 is not blind anymore. However, he was declared legally blind when he was six years old.
In the show, he told Ryan Seacrest that he was born with a rare retinal ailment that would result in blindness. As a result, he gradually lost his vision when he was 11 years old, but at the age of 13, he underwent therapy that allowed him to restore his vision.
During an interview, he shared his struggles while growing up. Although his vision was not fully gone, it was difficult for him to use his eyes. As a result, he could not see many things others would see.
Everyone would play games, but he remembered sitting by his parent’s side at home. He also added that many would say that he would not be able to read, write or travel.
However, the gene therapy that his family tried hard to find out about helped him change his life. He was able to see incredible things once again. Since his debut appearance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, the 20-year-old singer has made a name for himself in the sector.
Learn Christian Guardino Story
Fight Blindness Foundation shares Christian Guardino’s story. According to the words mentioned on the site, the singer was diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) as a newborn.
The family was informed at the time that Christian’s LCA would improve or, at the very least, not worsen. However, the information given to the Guardino family was incorrect. It turned out that LCA does not improve with time.
As a result, his failing vision became apparent when he was approximately 11 years old, according to Christian’s mother, Beth. Thus, his mother searched online to learn more about her son’s condition.
She found the Foundation for Retinal Research (FRR) while searching for information. And the family attended the FRR Conference in Philadelphia in 2012. There, they first learned more accurate facts about LCA, such as the fact that their child would grow blind.
He was retested there, and the family learned the source of his LCA. They discovered that a gene mutation called RPE65 might qualify him for a clinical trial for new gene treatment.
Then when he was 13, he went to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Spark Therapeutics RPE65 gene therapy clinical trial. His vision had improved since that time.
How Has Christian Guardino Disability Journey Been?
Christina Guardino says that the disability journey had been very difficult for him and his family. However, following the treatment, he had been able to see many incredible things that he never imagined that he would see.
Thus, he says that he would never take anything for granted.