Category: Nystagmus and other visual impairments

Hi everyone, today’s guest post is from DJ Hey. I met her on Twitter. Be sure to check her social media accounts.

1. What is your name (or blog/channel name)? My name is Heather Nyblade, and I’m 31 years-old.
2. Who has inspired you the most in life? My family and friends have inspired and continue to motivate me to follow my dream and live the life I deserve to live.
3. Who has inspired you for your blog or YouTube channel? My vision teacher I had in high school, Martha Castigilla, inspired me to start my YouTube channel and suggested making a video about how people should and shouldn’t treat the blind.
4. Besides writing or making YouTube videos what do you like to do in your spare time? I love doing my trance music mix called “High Energy Tunes,” which can be heard once a month on laut.fm/liftedtrancemusicradio and my official SoundCloud page. I also love performing at clubs and venues, since my goal is to travel the world by performing at the big-name events.
5. Name your best quality? My best qualities are what the trance music community is all about, which is peace, love, unity, and respect (PLUR.)
6. If you could interview anyone living or dead who would it be and why? It’d be my favorite DJ, Ferry Corsten, from the Netherlands. Because he  he inspired me to pursue my own career as a DJ, specifically at the same events he and other trance artists perform at. Such as Tomorrowland in Belgium, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Las Vegas, Dreamstate in Southern California, and Luminosity in the Netherlands. After meeting him in 2013 and enjoying his set at the Intervention Pool Party, I was instantly hooked.
7. What is your college major/minor? I have a high school diploma.
8. Why did you choose the title of your blog or YouTube Channel? The title of my YouTube channel is DJHeyOfficial because DJ Hey is my DJ name, and the official part is to let people know this is my real YouTube channel.
9. Where do you see yourself in five years? I want to see myself performing at trance music events all over California and out of state before getting booked over in Europe.
10. What is the name/cause of your visual impairment (or other disabilities that you may have)? I was born three months prematurely and was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity )ROP), which is what caused me to be totally blind.
11.  How does your visual impairment (or other disabilities that you may have) effect you on a daily basis? I don’t look at my blindness in a negative way, mainly because of what I mentioned earlier about coming from a loving family.
12. What do other people feel about your visual impairment (or other disability that you may have)? I’ve had situations where people have given me the “Oh, I feel so sorry for you because you’re blind” comment or would automatically assume it must be really hard for me to do something, just because I can’t see. But everyone I’ve met through my shows and social media have been really impressed with what I can do. This is why I’m extremely thankful for them being there to love, support, and appreciate me for who I am. Because the trance community has been all about being there for each other as a family.
13. If you had to give one piece of advice to others about having a visual impairment (or other disability that you may have What would that be? Don’t  let it stop them from doing what they love or living the life they want to live.

14. Where can other people find you on social media? (Please list and provide the links.)

Hi Northwick,

My name is Amanda. I live in The United States in a state called Florida. I like you and your friend, Frank, who you live with, I also have wobbly eyes due to Nystagmus.

For those of you who have not heard of Northwick, he is a friendly bear who lives with a family and a boy named Frank, and together they navigate the world with Nystagmus. The author who writes these stories is named John Sanders.
Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed by me.

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself? – Well, first of all, thank you for inviting me to appear on your blog. As you say, I’m a bear who has Nystagmus which is something a lot of people may not have heard of. Basically, Nystagmus means my eyes flicker from side to side so I don’t see very well and glasses don’t fix it. As well as not being able to see very far, I need more time to see, how much I can see changes throughout the day, sometimes everything around me looks like it’s moving and I have to turn my head to look straight ahead. My flickering eyes use up a lot of energy, so I have a big appetite. That’s what I think anyway.
2. What is the hardest thing for you and Frank to see? (For me, it was hard seeing balls in games like soccer, and being able to see my school books and worksheets) – Yes, like you say Amanda! Things that move fast like balls in games, Frank’s friends running around and it’s really annoying when people say, “look at that bird up there!” Usually I can’t see birds or planes. …
3. What is your favorite thing to see? – Grass and trees and flowers and the sea and mountains and parks. I may not see these things in as much detail as people with ordinary eyes, but I like being in the countryside and drinking in the thousand shades of green, the smells of sea and rain and plants, the sound of burbling streams, the feel of leaves and rocks and wood and water.
4. What is your favorite kind of snack to eat? – Easy question. Cakes! Especially chocolate cakes.
5. How is Frank? – Like me, Frank has ups and downs, often because of Nystagmus. But we’re both happier now that we can talk to each about seeing the world differently from most other people.
6. What is your favorite subject in school? – French. Some people say learning another language is hard. But I think they’re wrong. I listen carefully and you don’t always have to read, so that makes it easier for me than subjects like sums or geography. J’aime bien parler français!
7. Do you ever feel sad about Nystagmus? – Oh yes. Before I met Frank I thought I was the only Bear / Person in the world with Nystagmus. Now I know I’m not alone and that helps a lot. We talk a lot about what we see or don’t see and that helps both Frank and me.
8. How does Amy the Orthoptist, who you see at the eye hospital, help you and Frank see? (Dr. Douglas Reynold helps me see better. He gives me new glasses.) – Amy makes sure we have the right glasses too. She also explains things to us. Like that glasses don’t fix Nystagmus, but they help with some of the other ordinary things that are wrong with our eyes. Amy makes us feel more confident. We know we can ask her questions. Sometimes we bring questions to her that children in Frank’s school have asked him and she can give us answers.
9. What has been the funniest Halloween costume you and Frank have worn for Halloween? – Pirates! Frank had a parrot (not a real one!) on his shoulder. We both had eye patches too. That was the best part. The funny thing was that, because of the eye patches, people were more helpful than usual because they realized we couldn’t see so much.
10. If you and Frank could give any advice to children with Nystagmus what would it be? – Don’t feel sad. Find out all you can about Nystagmus and talk to other people about it. Most people are interested. And remember that some very famous people have Nystagmus, so it doesn’t stop you from being happy and successful.