“I Choose to Find Meaning in It”
Beacon Stories
After learning at 15 that he had retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Wyatt Edmondson found purpose in sharing his experiences through music and advocacy. Today, the Nashville singer-songwriter uses his voice to uplift the vision loss community while helping others feel seen and understood.
Wyatt Edmondson was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) when he was 5 years old. But he didn’t learn about his diagnosis until he was 15.
RP had already been part of Wyatt’s family story. His grandfather was the first in the family to be diagnosed, and Wyatt inherited RP through his mother’s side of the family. Because Wyatt’s vision remained relatively strong throughout childhood, his parents chose to let him grow up without knowing about his diagnosis.
By his early teenage years, Wyatt was starting to trip over things he couldn’t see. One day, while walking through the hallway of his high school, he tripped over a classmate sitting on the floor. It was a moment that made him realize his vision was different from his classmates’.
When Wyatt’s parents finally told him about his diagnosis, it gave him a new way to understand the changes he had been experiencing. At the same time, his love of music was beginning to take shape.
“There was a lot of being misunderstood and even misunderstanding myself,” says Wyatt. “But at the time, I was 15, and I was highly influenced by my surroundings. And when I discovered my diagnosis, I was also starting to experiment with music for the first time, and the two converged into what I believe is my purpose, which is just to inspire not only myself, but those around me through art and awareness.”
Learning about RP changed how Wyatt thought about his future, but his focus remained on the present.
“In that moment, I was afraid of the future, but I wasn’t afraid of the present,” says Wyatt. “And here I am sitting in front of you now with a lot less vision than I had at 15 years old. And I’m still fully equipped to handle life with the vision I have today.”
Over time, Wyatt began to see his vision loss not simply as something he had to navigate, but as an experience that could shape how he connected with others. Music became an important part of that process, giving him a way to express his experiences and connect with people who may not share them.
“I believe that I have this situation and this reality so that I can do with it what I choose,” says Wyatt. “And I choose to find meaning in it. I choose to rather than let it hinder me, let it guide me.”
That sense of purpose is also rooted in Wyatt’s connection to his grandfather. Growing up, he didn’t see his grandfather as someone who was limited by blindness. He saw someone who was strong, hardworking, deeply connected to his family, and successful in his career as a piano tuner.
“I look at him even today, and I draw so much inspiration,” says Wyatt. “And I feel like in a lot of ways that I have pieces of him inside of me, and that propels me forward on a daily basis.”
Wyatt has also seen firsthand that living with RP can look very different from person to person. For some people in his life with RP, that experience has included struggles with depression. Seeing perspectives different from his own has reinforced for Wyatt the importance of speaking openly about vision loss and advocating for the community.
“I see the darkness of it, and I see what it can do to people, and it not only reminds me of how real the struggle is, but how necessary me being here is and what I can do to advocate for this community,” says Wyatt.
That advocacy is closely tied to the way Wyatt uses music and his voice. Today, he is a singer-songwriter in Nashville, using his words, emotions, and songs to connect with others and share experiences that may not otherwise be understood. His upcoming album, Make Light of the Dark, is closely connected to his experience with RP and reflects the meaning he has found in it.
“I do feel like it is my responsibility to share my experiences and to use my skills to uplift a community that needs it,” says Wyatt.
His sense of purpose reaches beyond the present, too. Wyatt hopes that continued research will lead to treatments and cures, not only for himself, but for generations of his family who may otherwise inherit RP.
“I would love for my grandchildren not to have to deal with having RP,” says Wyatt.
He believes the tools needed to advance research are within reach, but that researchers need support to do the work. For Wyatt, supporting that work is another way to make his experience with RP meaningful.
“I’m a big believer that we have the tools in front of us. We just need the support,” says Wyatt. “And I believe that organizations like the Foundation Fighting Blindness are really the biggest proponents of how we can gather that support so that those professionals can do the work that they need to do.”
Throughout Wyatt’s life, individual moments have shaped how he understands his vision loss, from learning about his diagnosis and discovering music to drawing inspiration from his grandfather and finding his own voice as an advocate. Each has helped shape the perspective he now shares with others.
And while he doesn’t know what the future holds for his vision, he knows what he can do with the vision he has today.
Inspired by Wyatt's story? Share your own. During Blindness Awareness Month, #ShareYourVision is raising awareness about the many ways people experience vision loss. By sharing our stories, we can foster understanding, build community, and help drive research forward.
