Blue Hills Regional Technical School soccer star keeps playing despite being blind in one eye
CANTON -- There's a saying that goes keep your eye on the ball. Blue Hills Regional School senior Emily Lehane has no choice.
An accident during a soccer game left her blind in one eye. But that hasn't stopped her.
"When I got the injury, I didn't think I was going to be able to play but I didn't let that stop me from playing because I really love the game," said Lehane.
When she was a freshman she suffered a serious injury in a game when a soccer ball hit her in the eye which caused a hole in her retina. Now she is completely blind in her left eye.
"I still can't see. I'm told they won't be able to fix it until they come up with new STEM technology and that could be another five years, even 10."
But that doesn't hold back this 18-year-old soccer star and team captain from ripping it up on the field. Even though she had to tweak her game a bit.
"As I can't see out of this eye I have to make adjustments like sometimes I have no idea there's a player coming behind me so I have to look to make sure this eye catches it," explained Lehane.
Now, playing with one eye is her new normal.
"I've not seen anything like this," said Girls Varsity Soccer Coach Nicole Flynn.
What's Lehane's strength on the field?
"Sounds kind of funny but her field vision. So even though she can't see great she makes some of the best passes on the team. She knows her teammates are and where to put the ball," said Flynn. "She's beaten our school scoring record, our assist record, and our total points record, which is just crazy."
"When I came to this school I never felt like 'oh I'll be breaking records,' that never even crossed my mind," said Lehane.
And doing it with one eye has taught her some valuable lessons.
"To never give up with what you love. Even if you have challenges, you can definitely still do it. Which I did. This is kind of a big challenge for me but as long as you love it just keep doing it and that's what I did and I'm still playing now."
Now she's looking to the future.
"I've accomplished so much on this team. I don't think it will stop me in college," she said.
