ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – For this week’s News 19’s Student of the Week, News 19’s Ellie Byrd visited Albertville High School to speak with senior Grady Harrison.
We have met a lot of students from around the Tennessee Valley, and they’re all amazing, but Grady truly left a lasting impact on Ellie — and all the students and teachers around him!
You don’t have to look far to find Grady, just follow the laughter.
“He’s an amazing kid. He’s involved in a little bit of everything. He’s in the band for us, in our FCCLA and the President of AL’s Pals,” said Principal Steven Hudgins.
Grady has been blind since he was seven years old — but you’d never know it by the way he moves through life.
“That does not hold him back at all. No, he is not one to make excuses. Grady is good at overcoming any adversity that comes his way. He is successful in anything that he puts his mind to. Like I said earlier, academics, culinary band, whatever he tries that he succeeds at, he has a determination about him that he is going to be the best at anything that he does,” said Principal Hudgins.
When Grady was asked about how he went blind, he asked us, “Do you want the medical reason? Do you want my personal opinion?”
“So medically… it says undetermined. They have no idea. I went to, I think it was Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. And we were there for seven days. They ran copious amounts of tests, and nothing. They have no idea. However, in my personal opinion, we’d have to cut back to two months before. We are all in Florida, and I really like swimming. I am overly enthusiastic about swimming, so me and my brother Mason, we’re getting ready to go swimming… So, I decided, being enthusiastic as I am, I turned and ran out of the room. So, you know the part where birds can’t see the windows? Yes. Okay. So, we were in a condo and its plexiglass. So, six-year-old me running like 70 miles an hour headfirst into the plexiglass doors. It gets worse. I bounce off my feet, lift off the ground, and the back of my skull hits the marble floor. Two months later, I started going blind. And over the course of six weeks, like my perception of vision.”
Grady’s resilience and attitude about everything are an inspiration to everyone he comes in contact with. When asked about how he felt being nominated as News 19’s Student of the Week, Grady, of course, used his charm and humor to make us all laugh.
“It’s wild! There are so many other people who, like, are also amazing. I’m just shocked that it’s me specifically that you chose. I’m really thankful for it. But also, I just wasn’t completely out of it, I’m completely blindsided because you could say,” Grady said.
For Grady, life isn’t about what he’s missing — it’s about what he’s been given. He’s said he’s more intelligent, he loves to read, space camp, building Legos and music, of course.
“It helped me be more introspective. I would say I think through things more since I have a lot more time to. So even though going blind is a terrible thing. It’s sort of like changed me for the better, I like I listen to music more, I pay attention a lot more, and I got a lot more academic this year,” he said.
And now has a bigger purpose to inspire so many of his peers.
“The band is the reason I do a lot of things. I got really social because of the band. I met a lot of my best friends through the band or in the band, and I want to make them proud and show them anything is possible,” he said.
Albertville has one of the biggest bands in our area and Grady doesn’t miss a beat. He’s hoping to pursue a career in music, potentially at Auburn University.
“There’s obviously some hurdles, and, like, just trying to figure out how to play some of the music because obviously there’s sheet music and there’s Braille music, but I just learn by ear. That was a challenge at first, but obviously it all just takes practice and time,” he said.
Grady’s story at such a young age is one of strength, humor, and heart — a reminder that even without sight, his vision for life couldn’t be any clearer
“I would encourage, perseverance. There’s always light at the end of the road, even if you don’t see it. Like one of my favorite things is that it’s always darkest before the dawn. And that’s true. Like everything, obviously, going blind is a terrible thing to do. I wouldn’t recommend it. In any formal way, but also, like, it sort of shaped my personality because I was very honest,” Grady said.
The bonds that Grady has formed and the memories he’s made will never be forgotten here at Albertville High School. Grady told us that he will never forget the help he received here from his band teachers or Mr. Powell, the person who really helps him one-on-one with things.
“So, my aide, Mr. Powell, he’s the best. I just got to get that out of the way. There really is nobody better! He’s amazing; he’s gone above and beyond every time. There are so many situations, I can point out exactly how much he truly has done for me,” he said.
If you would like to nominate a Student of the Week, email us at [email protected] or talk to your local school system today!
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