Jack Duffy Protentis is a man on a mission!
Even though he seems to get around okay, Jack is legally blind.
He has a condition called Stargardt Disease, and can only see out of the corners of his eyes.
But he doesn’t let this slow him down. Jack skis and snowboards, among many other things.
He is a coach on the robotics team, and even though he can’t drive a car, he can surely drive a robot.
Jack is a part of the National Honor Society, he’s a STEM apprentice, and a National High School Scholar.
Jack accomplished them all by overcoming his challenges.
“He perseveres, through everything. And he doesn’t even stress out about anything, and if he can do that, then we can persevere too, we can overcome,” said Jack’s teacher Kerry Murphy.
The Easton School Department also pitched in for book magnifiers to keep Jack on track. Jack says without some of these machines, he would not be able to read or write.
Jack offers scientists his eyes for testing and probing, hoping they can find a cure.
He’s also raised more than $100,000 for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and is a mentor to younger kids who have the same disease.
“There are a lot of things that you have to learn and you don’t get taught, so I figured if I could teach it to them they will be better off in the long run,” said Jack.
Jack is still deciding where to go to college next year, but he knows he wants to study science, math and engineering.
(Copyright (c) 2016 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)