Alyssa Fisher was born June 25, 2007, in Belize City. Alyssa Fisher was born in Belize City on June 25, 2007, with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which causes blindness in both eyes, and was left with her mother, Carol Fisher. She and her mother, Carol Fisher, were hospitalized for over two months.

In May 2024, Alyssa graduated from Wesley High School with a 3.91 Grade Point Average (GPA) and served as the school's first visually impaired graduate representative, and she is currently applying for a full scholarship to a U.S. university to pursue a career as a scientist. 

Alyssa is always optimistic and enterprising, seizing every second of the learning experience, actively seeking opportunities to help anyone, joining the school choir after school, finding joy and self-confidence in her vocal talents, and actively participating in the People's Constitution Commission (PCC) of Belize to speak out for the rights of the physically and mentally challenged, as well as raising awareness about the government's compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. At the same time, the government complies with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which protects the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities and provides them with fair opportunities to participate in the civil, political, educational, economic, and cultural spheres, and encourages them to stand up and go out.

As a result, Alisha has overcome blindness in both eyes, not bowing to fate and taking herself as a “small seed”: every small seed grows in the midst of struggle, grateful for the rain, the earth, and the sun's guidance, and eventually grows into a big tree that provides shelter for thousands of species of flying birds. She is still in different fields, setting new records, crossing over, embracing the extraordinary, organizing the wisdom of life, breaking through all the darkness and obstacles, and aspiring to become a scientist, inventing visually impaired software and hardware aids for the blind so that everyone can enjoy affordable aids for self-reliance, self-help, and self-entertainment, and benefiting tens of millions of blind people to give up the haze and turn to the sunshine, which is worthy of the name of “Belize Angel of Total Blindness.” standing out among3,683 candidates recommended worldwide, earning the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation’s “28th Global Love of Life Award in 2025.”

Search for Life Fighters from 233 Countries Worldwide
    Everyone can break the shackles of life; everyone’s life holds boundless possibilities.
    For 28 years, the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, with the support and encouragement of communities worldwide, has tirelessly promoted the “Global Love of Life Movement,” advocating: Be good to yourself—cherish your own life; be good to others—respect others’ lives; be good to the Earth—protect the Earth’s life.
    To date, we have honored 481 Global Love of Life Award recipients from 81 countries across seven continents, along with 16 Global Love of Life Literature Award winners, including the chivalrous poet Cheng Chou-yu and Chinese chef-poet Song Chengbao, and 41 Hope Award recipients, such as anti-drug hero Kao Chao-liang and reformed figure Wu Shih-hsuan. Additionally, we have cared for and supported over 350,000 of the world’s most vulnerable children with cancer, including Mary Donita Uy, a bone cancer angel from a Philippine slum, helping them fight cancer with love and live with hope.
We are deeply grateful for the recognition and resonance from global media outlets such as CNN, BBC, NHK, Yahoo, YouTube, Facebook, and Baidu, which have widely reported our efforts as the “Nobel Prize of Life.”
    We are profoundly thankful for accolades including the 3rd National Public Welfare Award in 2001, the Hong Kong Loving Heart Award in 2010, the Ministry of Education Social Education Contribution Award in 2018, Colombia’s Congress Resolution No. 61 in 2019 granting its highest congressional honor, the United Nations NGO World Harmony Outstanding Contribution Award in 2021, and the China Charity and Filial Piety Culture Award in 2022. These recognitions inspire us to continue sharing, encouraging, and striving alongside global communities.
    The foundation warmly welcomes nominations of life warriors who demonstrate effort, compassion, courage, and achievement from people worldwide. (Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation Global Love of Life Award Nomination Hotline: +886-2-29178770, Fax: +886-2-29178768, Address: 3F, No. 52, Mingde Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City 231, Taiwan, Website: http://www.ta.org.tw, Email: ta88ms17@gmail.com).

Understanding Retinopathy of Prematurity

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a condition caused by abnormal retinal blood vessel growth in the eyes of premature infants.

Before 1942, due to low survival rates of premature babies, this disease was largely unknown. In recent years, with advancements in the care of low-birth-weight premature infants, the incidence of ROP has gradually increased.

In Taiwan, thousands of cases of ROP occur annually among premature infants. While most cases are mild and resolve spontaneously, severe cases can lead to retinal detachment or even blindness.

Even without ROP, premature infants are more likely to develop refractive errors (such as high myopia or astigmatism), amblyopia, strabismus, or glaucoma as they grow, compared to full-term babies. Therefore, regular eye examinations are crucial.

Several risk factors are associated with ROP, with the most established including low birth weight (less than 1,500 grams), early gestational age (less than 32 weeks), and prolonged exposure to high concentrations of supplemental oxygen. Other potential risk factors include intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and multiple births.

The pathological mechanism of ROP is closely related to oxygen regulation. In the womb, the fetus is in a relatively low-oxygen environment. When a baby is born prematurely, the immature retina is exposed to higher oxygen levels, which may halt normal blood vessel growth. The peripheral retina, in a state of oxygen deficiency, stimulates the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leading to abnormal blood vessel proliferation and fibrosis. In the most severe cases, this can cause vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and blindness.
Fortunately, severe ROP occurs in only a small percentage of premature infants (approximately 3%). The majority of cases are mild and typically resolve on their own.

With advancements in premature infant care and regular retinal examinations by ophthalmologists, the number of blindness cases due to ROP has significantly decreased.

The School’s First Visually Impaired Graduate

Belize is a country in the Caribbean with a highly accessible education system, boasting a literacy rate exceeding 93%. The government mandates free primary education for children aged 6 to 14, and since September 1993, secondary education has also been tuition-free.

Eliza, unlike her peers, faced significant learning challenges, relying on others to read texts aloud word by word and transcribe her answers. This time-consuming process demanded immense patience and perseverance.

Her mother, Carol, said, “Eliza has to work two or three times harder than others, especially when preparing for exams. I have to read things multiple times for her to fully understand and provide feedback. Then she types her assignments, which is very time-consuming, but it has truly paid off for her.”

Eliza attended Horizon Academy, a primary school with comprehensive special education materials. However, Wesley High School, along with other schools that rejected her, such as St. Catherine Academy, Edward Percival Yorke High School, and Nazarene High School, lacked specialized resources for special education.
Globally, approximately 285 million people are visually impaired or blind. Their intelligence and abilities are equal to others, yet they are often isolated and marginalized due to limited learning resources.

To ensure Eliza’s worry-free education, Carol hired an assistant to accompany her at school, taking notes and enabling her to fully engage in classes.

Eliza said, “My family is the backbone of everything I do. Whenever I feel like giving up or think I can’t do something, they tell me not to quit and to fear nothing. They are the source of all my achievements and my eternal support.”
Eliza is deeply grateful to Wesley High School for accepting her and creating a supportive educational environment. As her studies progressed, she faced increasingly complex challenges.

As the only visually impaired student at her school, Eliza adapted to interacting with sighted peers, tackled the same coursework, and endured the same exam pressures, striving to keep up with everyone.

Eliza exceeded expectations, graduating as the top student and the first visually impaired graduate of her school. As the valedictorian, she inspired her teachers and classmates, expressing gratitude for her family’s support in facing life’s most daunting challenges.

Carol believes Belize’s education system lacks sufficient capacity to support visually impaired students, often leaving them behind. While other people with disabilities have access to resources, visually impaired individuals heavily rely on the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI), the only organization in Belize dedicated to supporting blind and visually impaired people.

Carol noted, “I’ve never learned Braille tools. As a working mother, learning Braille to teach Eliza was very difficult for me. Instead, we focused on computers. Through BCVI, we installed screen-reading software (NVDA) on her computer, which reads out every word as she types.”

World Sight Day: Protect Your Eyes in Time

Every second Thursday of October is designated as World Sight Day (WSD), initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1988 to promote the importance of vision care and raise awareness about global blindness and eye disease issues.

The key messages conveyed by World Sight Day include the following eight points:

1. Globally, approximately 285 million people suffer from visual impairment, with 39 million blind and 246 million having low vision.
    
2. About 90% of blind individuals come from low-income countries.
    
3. Approximately 80% of visual impairments can be treated, avoided, or prevented.
    
4. Restoring vision and preventing blindness is one of the most cost-effective measures in healthcare.
    
5. Over the past 20 years, blindness caused by eye infections has significantly decreased.
    
6. Globally, around 19 million children suffer from visual impairments.
    
7. About 65% of visually impaired individuals are over 50 years old, accounting for roughly 20% of the global population.
    
8. The population with visual impairments due to aging is expected to increase.
    

Taiwan is one of the countries with the most severe myopia issues globally, with a persistently high rate of childhood myopia.
Research shows that for every 100-degree increase in myopia, the risk of eye diseases such as macular degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts significantly rises.

According to statistics from Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior, the population aged 65 and above accounts for 18.35% of the total population. By 2025, Taiwan will enter a “super-aged society,” with the elderly population continuing to grow, making vision health a critical issue for modern society.
Eye diseases not only affect vision health but also severely impact quality of life.
In an era dominated by 3C (computer, communication, and consumer electronics) products, many people rely on these devices for both daily life and work. Below are several common eye diseases that pose threats to vision, shared for public awareness:

Cataracts
Cataracts have multiple causes, primarily stemming from structural changes in the lens, which is composed of various proteins, with crystalline (α, β, γ) being the main component. The most common cause is degeneration; as people age, lens proteins denature and become cloudy. Additionally, congenital cataracts can occur in young children due to genetic factors or developmental issues, medications can accelerate cataract formation, metabolic diseases like diabetes can cause cataracts, and patients with high myopia may develop cataracts at a younger age, often accompanied by changes in myopia degree. Research confirms that prolonged UV exposure accelerates aging, so wearing hats and UV-protective sunglasses is recommended to avoid direct sunlight. If blurred vision impacts quality of life or functionality, seek medical consultation.

Diabetic Eye Diseases
Blood sugar control is the primary factor. Poorly managed diabetes leads to high blood sugar levels, causing organs to be exposed to hyperosmotic conditions, resulting in complications. Common diabetic eye diseases include diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, and optic neuropathy. Diabetic retinopathy is classified by severity into non-proliferative and proliferative types. Severe non-proliferative cases may require laser treatment to prevent worsening, while severe proliferative cases can lead to vitreous hemorrhage, tractional retinal detachment, fibrovascular proliferation, or neovascular glaucoma. These conditions severely affect vision and cause lifestyle inconveniences. Strict blood sugar control, regular retinal monitoring, and early detection and treatment yield the best outcomes.

Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration encompasses various conditions affecting the macula, collectively referred to as macular degeneration. Its hallmark is distorted vision, where lines or objects appear warped, enlarged, or reduced. Types include congenital, proliferative, macular edema, macular hole, and degenerative (dry or wet) macular degeneration. Advanced medical technologies, such as surgery, medications, or photodynamic laser therapy, offer effective treatments, with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs being a groundbreaking therapy. Some degenerative conditions can only be managed to slow progression, making accurate diagnosis critical. Early detection and treatment generally yield better results, as vision recovery is limited once retinal structure is deformed. According to the U.S. AREDS study, lutein plays a role in delaying moderate to severe degenerative macular degeneration. As an antioxidant, lutein helps the retina combat free radicals, with a recommended daily dose of 10 mg for affected patients. Other supplements include vitamins A, C, and E, zinc, copper, and zeaxanthin. Consuming lutein-rich foods like spinach, sweet potato leaves, pumpkin, broccoli, or eggs is advised.

Myopia
Myopia is a lifelong concern, as high myopia leads to numerous issues, including elongated eye axis, peripheral retinal degeneration, macular degeneration, retinal tears, and a high risk of retinal detachment. Severe high myopia can cause retinal degeneration and potential blindness with age. Preventive measures include minimizing 3C product use and protecting against UV exposure. The best approach is preventing myopia progression in childhood. For those with high myopia, even after laser correction, regular dilated fundus exams are necessary to detect early peripheral retinal degeneration or tears for timely treatment.

Dry Eye Syndrome
Symptoms like eye fatigue, dryness, light sensitivity, wind intolerance, foreign body sensation, and blurred vision are common in dry eye syndrome. Many experience poor visual quality or blurriness due to tear issues. Tears contain not just water but also lipids and mucus. Adequate water alone isn’t enough; surface lipids prevent rapid evaporation, maintaining moisture. Warm compresses aid lipid secretion from meibomian glands. In dry eye patients, incomplete tear composition causes discomfort and vision issues. Regular moisturizing with artificial tears, resting eyes for 5 minutes every 30 minutes of use, and frequent warm compresses are recommended.

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