• Log in
    NewsVoicesExpertsEat & DrinkTravelogueExclusivesTravel TipsPrint IssueVideo
    ADVOCATEOUTPridePLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    SubscribeSubscriber ServicesEmail Newsletter Signup
    CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    OutTravelerOutTraveler
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Tamara Hardingham-Gill, Cnn
    | 09/13/22

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    These loving Canadian parents are giving their children a lifetime of immersive and visual experiences.

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    (CNN) – Their daughter Mia was just three years old when Canadian couple Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier first noticed that she was having vision problems.

    A few years after they first took her to see a specialist, Mia, the eldest of their four children, was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition that causes a loss or decline in vision over time.

    By this point, Lemay and Pelletier, who’ve been married for 12 years, had noticed that two of their sons, Colin, now seven, and Laurent, now five, were experiencing the same symptoms.

    Their fears were confirmed when in 2019 the boys were diagnosed with the same genetic disorder; their other son Leo, now nine, was given the all-clear.

    “There’s nothing you can really do,” says Lemay, explaining that there is currently no cure or effective treatment to slow down the progression of retinitis pigmentosa. We don’t know how fast it’s going to go, but we expect them to be completely blind by mid-life.”

    Pictured from left Mia, Colin, Sebastien (father), Leo, Laurent, and Edith (mother) with unnamed host

    Visual memories

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Once they came to terms with the news, the couple focused their attention on helping their children build the skills they’d need to navigate their way through life.

    When Mia’s specialist suggested that they engross her with “visual memories,” Lemay realized that there was one truly incredible way that they could do just that for her and the rest of the children.

    “I thought, ‘I’m not going to show her an elephant in a book, I’m going to take her to see a real elephant,’” she explains. “And I'm going to fill her visual memory with the best, most beautiful images I can.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    She and her husband soon began making plans to spend a year traveling around the globe with their kids.

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    While Lemay and Pelletier traveled together frequently before they became parents, and had taken their children on various trips, going on an extended trip as a family hadn’t seemed feasible before.

    “With the diagnosis, we have an urgency,” adds Pelletier, who works in finance. “There’s great things to do at home, but there’s nothing better than traveling. Not only the scenery but also the different cultures and people.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    They soon began trying to build up their savings, and their travel pot received a welcome boost when the company that Pelletier worked for and had shares in was bought.

    “That was like a little gift from life,” admits Lemay, who works in healthcare logistics. “Like, here’s the money for your trip.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    The family of six was originally due to set off in July 2020, and had planned an in-depth itinerary that involved traveling through Russia by land and spending time in China.

    Big adventure

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    However, they were forced to delay their trip by a number of years due to the travel restrictions brought about by the global pandemic, and revised their itinerary countless times. When they eventually left Montreal in March 2022, they had few plans in place.

    “We actually left without an itinerary,” says Lemay. “We had ideas of where we wanted to go, but we plan as we go. Maybe a month ahead.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Before they set off, the Lemay-Pelletier family created something of a bucket list of experiences for their travel. According to Lemay, Mia wanted to go horseback riding, while Laurent wanted to drink juice on a camel.

    “It was really specific and very funny at the time,” she adds.

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    They began their trip in Namibia, where they got up close to elephants, zebras, and giraffes, before heading to Zambia and on to Tanzania, and then flying to Turkey, where they spent a month. The family then made their way to Mongolia, before moving on to Indonesia.

    “We’re focusing on sights,” explains Pelletier. “We’re also focusing a lot on fauna and flora. We’ve seen incredible animals in Africa, but also in Turkey and elsewhere. So we’re really trying to make them see things that they wouldn't have seen at home and have the most incredible experiences.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Aside from witnessing beautiful sights while their vision is still relatively strong, the couple hopes that the trip will help the children develop strong coping skills.

    According to the National Eye Institute, part of the US National Institutes of Health, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, retinitis pigmentosa symptoms usually begin in childhood, and most people eventually lose most of their sight.

    “They’re going to need to be really resilient throughout their life,” adds Lemay, pointing out that Mia, Colin, and Laurent will have to constantly readjust as their eyesight worsens.

    Support system

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    “Traveling is something you can learn from. It’s nice and fun, but it also can be really hard. You can be uncomfortable. You can be tired. There’s frustration. So there’s a lot that you can learn from travel itself.”

    While Mia, now 12, has known about her condition since she was seven, Colin and Laurent found out more recently and are beginning to ask difficult questions.

    “My little one asked me, ‘Mommy, what does it mean to be blind? Am I going to drive a car?’” says Lemay. “He’s five. But slowly, he’s understanding what’s happening. It was a normal conversation for him. But for me, it was heart-wrenching.”

    For Leo, their second eldest child, the knowledge of his siblings' genetic condition was “always a fact of life.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Lemay and Pelletier hope that getting to spend time in different countries and experience different cultures will show all of the children how fortunate they are, despite the challenges that may come later in their lives as their sight deteriorates.

    “No matter how hard their life is going to be, I wanted to show them that they are lucky just to have running water in their home and to be able to go to school every day with nice colorful books,” adds Lemay, who says that all four of the children have adjusted to life on the road relatively easily.

    “They’re super-curious,” she says. “They easily adapt to new countries and new food. I’m very impressed with them.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    While visual experiences remain a priority, Lemay says the trip has become more about showing the children “something different” and providing them with unforgettable experiences.

    “There are beautiful places everywhere in the world, so it doesn’t really matter where we go,” she explains. “And we never know what’s going to impress them. We will tell ourselves [they will think] something is wonderful and then they see puppies in the street and it's the best thing in their life.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    The family has been chronicling their trip via social media, posting regular updates on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

    Lemay says others who’ve been diagnosed themselves or have a loved one with retinitis pigmentosa, have gotten in touch with her to offer words of encouragement.

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    In fact, a teacher at a specialist school in Quebec for students who are blind or visually impaired is among their 11,000 Facebook followers and often recounts their adventures to her class.

    “Every week, she opens the Facebook page and describes all the pictures or reads whatever I’m writing,” says Lemay.

    “And somehow they’re kind of part of the trip with us. To be able to share this with other people is a really nice gift that I’m really grateful for. That makes me really happy.”

    Future challenges

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Lemay and Pelletier admit that the diagnosis is always in the back of their minds, but they are focused on living in the moment and “putting their energy into the positive things.”

    “We never know when it can start or how fast it can go,” adds Pelletier. “So we really want to take this time as a family and to cater to each of our kids to be able to live this experience to the fullest.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    While the family plans to return home to Quebec next March, they say they’re trying not to think that far ahead. In fact, the ability to live in the moment is one of the key things the family has learned over the past few months.

    “This trip has opened our eyes to a lot of other things, and we really want to enjoy what we have and the people that are around us,” says Pelletier. “If that can continue when we go back, even in our daily routines, it will be a really good accomplishment.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Although traveling as a family has been testing -- the couple has also been homeschooling their children on the road -- Lemay and Pelletier say one of the highlights has been witnessing the bond between the kids strengthening.

    “They’re great together,” he adds. “Over and above, I think it helps solidify that link between them. And hopefully, that will continue in the future, so that they can support each other.”

    20 Pics of Family on World Tour Before Children Lose Their Vision

    Pelletier stresses that they remain hopeful that Mia, Colin, and Laurent may never go blind. But for the time being, they are doing everything they can to ensure that they can handle whatever the future may hold.

    “Hopefully, science will find a solution,” says Pelletier. “We cross our fingers for that. But we know that it might happen, so we want to make sure our kids are equipped to face these challenges.”

    The-CNN-Wire
    ™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

    Latest Stories

    4 Dead, Several Injured After Helicopters Collide on Australian Beach
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    4 Dead, Several Injured After Helicopters Collide on Australian Beach

    January 02 2023 11:14 AM
    These 8 Destinations Will Have You Dreaming of a Warm Christmas
    Destinations
    Badge
    gallery

    These 8 Destinations Will Have You Dreaming of a Warm Christmas

    December 24 2022 11:12 AM
    Times Square in New York City at night
    Best of Travel
    Badge
    gallery

    Sniffies Reveals Horniest Cities

    December 22 2022 4:15 PM
    Turkish Oil Wrestling: Male Bonding at the Kirkpinar Festival
    Travelogue
    Badge
    gallery

    Turkish Oil Wrestling: Male Bonding at the Kirkpinar Festival

    December 20 2022 2:20 PM
    Sniffies investigates the queerness and homoeroticism inherent in frat culture \u2013 and here are the mouthwatering pics to prove it.
    Events
    Badge
    gallery

    20 Thirsty Pics of #SniffiesRush Campaign Celebrating Frat Life

    December 16 2022 3:19 PM
    Reno Gold and his doctor boyfriend Austin in their new travel show “Boyfriends Big World”
    Exclusives
    Badge
    gallery

    OnlyFans Star Reno Gold on His New Boyfriend and Travel Show

    December 16 2022 3:10 PM
    Intro to Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend January 13-16
    Events
    Badge
    gallery

    Intro to Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend January 13-16

    December 13 2022 3:00 PM
    Making a Case for a Much-Hated Ingredient
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Making a Case for a Much-Hated Ingredient

    December 13 2022 4:00 AM
    Spend the Holidays in West Hollywood
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Spend the Holidays in West Hollywood

    December 11 2022 4:30 PM
    50+ Sexy Photos from Provincetown’s 25th-Annual Holly Folly
    Virtual Travel
    Badge
    gallery

    50+ Sexy Photos from Provincetown’s 25th-Annual Holly Folly

    December 11 2022 12:31 PM
    The 7 Most Cringeworthy Moments in ‘The White Lotus’
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    The 7 Most Cringeworthy Moments in The White Lotus

    December 10 2022 1:50 PM
    Gay Couple Finds True Love While Waiting at Airport
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Gay Couple Finds True Love While Waiting at Airport

    December 06 2022 10:30 AM
    Make the Most of Napa’s ‘Cabernet Season’
    Eat & Drink
    Badge
    gallery

    Make the Most of Napa’s ‘Cabernet Season’

    December 05 2022 4:00 AM
    14 Hotels That Go All Out for Christmas
    Resorts
    Badge
    gallery

    14 Hotels That Go All Out for Christmas

    December 04 2022 4:00 AM
    Pics Show Dueling Eruptions, Lava Flows Threaten Key Hawaiian Highway
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Pics Show Dueling Eruptions, Lava Flows Threaten Key Hawaiian Highway

    November 30 2022 4:30 PM
    Two New Lava Flows Cascade Down Mauna Loa
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Two New Lava Flows Cascade Down Mauna Loa

    November 30 2022 7:00 AM
    Plane Crash Survivors Suspended in Power Lines for Over Seven Hours
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Plane Crash Survivors Suspended in Power Lines for Over Seven Hours

    November 28 2022 4:15 PM
    Jinkx & DeLaCreme Holiday Show Best Yet
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    The Queens of Christmas Will Leave You Laughing

    November 26 2022 5:49 PM
    El Coyol is an exclusive, LGBTQ+ welcoming private island on Lake Nicaragua
    Destinations
    Badge
    gallery

    Escape Winter on This Stunning Private Island

    November 25 2022 12:00 PM
    More Black Friday & Cyber Monday Resort Sales
    Resorts
    Badge
    gallery

    More Black Friday  & Cyber Monday Resort Sales 

    November 25 2022 11:24 AM