 "Photo: Karl Anderson")
Despite being deaf in his left ear, legally blind in his left eye, incapable of smelling or tasting and living in a body that is physically half his age, Chris Sence continues to push toward his goal of obtaining a college degree.
Sence, a senior general studies major, has CHARGE syndrome, an acronym for a specific set of birth defects. Chris suffers from all six.
The “C” stands for coloboma, meaning a hole is present in one structure of the eye, “H” is for heart defects; “A” is atresia of the choanae, meaning closure of the passages from the back of the nose to the throat; “R” is growth retardation; “G” is genital deformities, and “E” is ear malformations.
“Growing up with CHARGE, other than going to all the hospitals and doctor’s appointments, I never really saw myself as a person with disabilities,” the Fayetteville, Ark., native said.
He has taken this mindset with him to college, where he has taken classes at Texas State Technical College, Tomball Community College, Sam Houston State University and now Texas Tech.
CHARGE has created numerous obstacles for Sence to hurdle, as it does for many others who suffer from it. And yet, he has persistently pursued a higher education.
Sence is affiliated with Texas Chargers, and is one of only two people who suffer from CHARGE to attend college in the state that the organization knows of.
And during his time here at Tech, Sence said he faces few challenges.
“My biggest challenge is my breathing — walking up and down stairs or hills,” he said. “With school, my memory is my biggest struggle. You go to different classes and are expected to memorize and learn different things which are difficult for me.”
Memorizing lines and concepts would not have been an issue for him two years ago before he had a severe stroke that left him with short-term memory problems.
“I don’t have too many problems though,” Sence said as he smiled.
He has found his passion in lights, and working on lighting for theatrical productions. He spends a lot of his time working on lights for theater productions at Tech and hopes to work full time as a light board operator after graduation. His love for lights is not anything new. It began when he was a child.
“My brothers and sisters are all in theater,” Sence said of his eight siblings. “One winter, I went to see my older brother in Oklahoma where he went to college. They were putting on a Christmas show and the main actress was deaf. My older brother was running the soundboard, but light board right next to it. I was watching them; because I was up in the box with him. I was watching and enjoying the lights and seeing them turn from color to color, it really intrigued me.
“And the main actress, seeing she was deaf and signing caught my attention too. I thought, ‘She is deaf and she is able to do that. So, so can I.’”
For Sence, college has been a different and interesting experience, said his mother, Kathy Sheriff. After being told my numerous doctors Sence would have a difficult life and would most likely not live long, she was eager to see where this next step would take him.
“It’s almost like an experiment. Like, how far can he go — can he really do this?” she said. “It’s been the neatest experience for him because he is maturing with people his own age, and not just being at home or working a simple job.”
Sence’s success is testament to the surprises those who are diagnosed with CHARGE have in them, Sheriff said. They are not limited.
“The last prognosis doctors gave us was as long as his heart stays in good condition, he could live to maybe 50 at the most,” she said. “But they still don’t know for sure because they chuckle and say he’s already done more than we thought. Chris is just Chris.”
David Coutts, a sophomore human development and family studies major from Weatherford, said he met Sence when he worked a summer camp with him. He said he was impressed by his determination to push past his physical limitations to help others while at Texas Lions Camp, a retreat for disabled children.
“We had kids with physical disabilities with a wide range of needs and necessities,” he said. “Some would require us to lift them and help them into bed and stuff. With Chris’ syndrome, he doesn’t have a lot of upper body strength. But when we needed him, he wouldn’t hesitate to help out even though it was hard for him.”
Coutts said he learned a lot from Sence’s openness about is his disability, and forgets he even has one because he is just “one of the guys, and can fit into any situation.” Although Sence has some limitations, he rarely holds back.
“I think it’s so awesome he came to college, I’m really proud of him,” Coutts said. “It’s inspirational and encouraging. He’s not letting anything stop him, his passion is theater and he is pursuing that aggressively, and I say all the power to him.”
1 comments
First of all, congratulations to Chris - best of luck with your future goals & dreams. Just a clarification to the picture caption: there are MANY individuals with CHARGE in Texas.People don't "suffer" with CHARGE, they live with it, learn to compensate and do the best they can. :)