No one sees the world in quite the same way.
This was a lesson that a group of fifth-graders in Texas recently learned.
During a sharing circle in class, 10-year-old Jaron Casillas, told the students that he was color blind.
“When Jaron was first talking,” Lindsay Casillas, Jaron’s mom, said, “he couldn’t tell us the color of objects, but I knew for certain that he was colorblind one morning as I was driving beneath an especially spectacular Texas sunrise. I heard his little voice from the car seat behind me say, ‘Look, Mommy! Look at the beautiful green sunshine!’”
Color blindness is typically defined by someone not able to tell between the colors red and green, or when blue and yellow look the same, the National Eye Institute said. There is no cure, although special glasses or contact lenses can help people see color better, they said.
While Jaron was talking with his classmates, his teacher, Christina Hayes, asked him about the special glasses. The young boy told her that they were too expensive to get.
Jaron Casillas as a very young child, pointing to the sky. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Casillas
But, like most kids, his classmates refused to let that deter them. After class, they talked to Christina and asked if they could surprise Jaron and raise money to get him the glasses? She agreed, and the children set aside their allowance money, and were able to get enough donations to buy Jaron two pairs of the glasses: one for indoors and one for outside.
Jaron’s parents were invited to the school, and just a few short days after he had told them, the young boy got his new glasses.
They donated their own allowances, happily, because they love you and they care about you,” the teacher told Jaron.
Jaron couldn’t contain his joy. “I’m just really excited because I know that my friends are really true friends for doing this for me. I can’t believe this is happening,” he said.
Jaron Casillas, 10, a color blind student, tries on his special glasses that were paid for by his classmates. Photo by Grapevine-Collyeville ISD
His mom was overwhelmed, as well.
“Witnessing the outpouring of compassion towards Jaron and unharnessed joy in the faces of so many children chanting his name, was a moment I will never forget,” Lindsay said.
“As a mom, you want to be there for all your child’s firsts,” she said. “The first step, the first word, the first taste of ice cream. It felt like I was looking on to a similar moment, but this time, Jaron’s dad and I were gathered with dozens of faces filled with love and the anticipation of their gift received … and a new ‘first’ for their friend.”
When Jaron tried out his new indoor and outdoor glasses, he was stunned.
“It just looks so different,” he said.
I’m just like, is this what everybody else has been seeing the whole time?”
Jaron will have to learn all the names of colors and shades he’s never seen before, his mom said. But she’s not concerned.
“… after we picked him up from school, Jaron, still beaming and wearing the glasses, announced that his classmates already had this covered,” she said, smiling. “One friend has volunteered to make flashcards and work with him on his primary colors, and another wants to take the lead on secondary colors.”
Lindsey said she hopes that people can learn from the children’s generosity.
“For so many children to bring their allowances in hand,” she said, “and to unite in a project of kindness and giving, demonstrates to me that there is goodness in the world and there is goodness in the hearts of the next generation.”
Watch Jaron’s reaction to his new glasses, below!
