Turning RP into a Canvas of Hope
Beacon Stories
Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) at 12, Raquel spent years navigating vision loss without support. But everything changed when she connected with the Foundation Fighting Blindness — and found not just answers, but community. Now an artist, advocate, and leader in San Diego, Raquel uses her story and her art as the founder of Unblurred Collection to raise awareness, give back, and inspire others living with blinding diseases.
Raquel holding two of her paintings.
For San Diego native Raquel Alim, vision loss was once a lonely and uncertain path. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) at just 12 years old, she was given a prognosis, "you’re going blind," with no clear direction forward. Over the next two decades, she visited more than ten specialists, but none offered her hope or a plan.
That changed in 2019, when a family friend found Dr. Jacque Duncan, a renowned retinal specialist, clinical researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and chair of the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ Scientific Advisory Board. For the first time, Raquel received genetic testing and was introduced to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. “It was the beginning of finally finding answers and community,” she says.
Raquel’s journey led her to Dr. Shyamanga Borooah, who not only helped her access resources but also asked about her mental health, something no provider had addressed before. Through his support, she connected with the San Diego Center for the Blind (SDCB), which offers free vision rehabilitation services. There, Raquel learned essential tools for independence, including how to confidently use a white cane. After completing the program, she began returning to speak to students about her experience, offering them hope, something she had gone without for too long.
Raquel, 41, is now the Vice President of the Foundation’s San Diego Chapter and a powerful voice for the blindness community. For the past 15 years, she has built a career at Community Health Group, a local health plan dedicated to serving diverse populations, all while navigating single motherhood. Though she has found success professionally, opening up about her vision loss in the workplace hasn’t always been easy. Instead, Raquel has found a healing outlet for her experiences through her art.
Raquel with her team at the San Diego VisionWalk.
In her childhood, Raquel would craft and draw, she especially loved drawing people and animals, and even dreamed of being an architect one day. But she had set aside her creative passions when her eyesight began to worsen.
“I was a perfectionist,” says Raquel. “When I couldn’t see pencil marks anymore, I stopped drawing.”
However, during the pandemic lockdown in 2020, she picked up art again, experimenting with different mediums. Finally, using acrylic paint markers and large canvases made it easier for her to see. It was the beginning of something extraordinary.
“At first I thought, ‘who is going to want to see art from a legally blind person?’” Raquel recalls. “But I came to realize that art isn’t about perfection. It’s about storytelling, emotion, and perspective.”
That realization became the foundation of her signature style, abstract realism, and led to the birth of her brand, Unblurred Collection. One of her most meaningful pieces, which she named ‘Unblurred Warrior,’ features a lion with two scars over its eyes.
Raquel posing at the San Diego VisionWalk with her Unblurred Warrior painting.
“I created that lion painting as a reminder to keep going,” says Raquel. “It helped me realize that despite my long and painful battle with blindness, I am still standing strong like a lion because every scar has made me who I am.”
That piece became the symbol for her collection and helped launch her into the public eye. She donated Unblurred Warrior to the San Diego VisionWalk auction, where it drew attention, encouragement, and inspired her to create more. Now, Raquel donates 10 percent of her proceeds to the Foundation Fighting Blindness or the SDCB, using her art to support the very communities that supported her.
In 2024, her impact was recognized when she was named Rising Star of the Year by San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women Awards, not only for her art but for her tireless advocacy, volunteer work, and dedication to educating others about blindness and low vision.
“I’ve been using this exposure to show people that blindness is a spectrum,” says Raquel. “You can still pursue your dreams, even without all your sight.”
Raquel posing with her award as Rising Star of the Year by San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women Awards.
Through her work, Raquel has collaborated with poet Dave Steele on “A Cane’s Perspective,” a visual series inspired by his poetry, and is currently working on a piece for five-time Paralympic medalist Lex Gillette, capturing the braille detail on his Tokyo silver medal.
Outside of her art, Raquel enjoys rock climbing, waterskiing, and playing Goalball. She’s also exploring more speaking opportunities to inspire others with her vision loss journey.
“When I started painting again three years ago, I was in such a dark place,” says Raquel. “I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I don’t want anyone else to go 20 years without support and resources like I did.”
For Raquel, the Foundation community has transformed her life, not just through knowledge, but through empowerment. “The potential for treatments gives me so much hope now,” says Raquel. “If I were to be eligible for a clinical trial, I’d do it, not only for myself, but for others, too.”
Through every brushstroke, every conversation, and every step forward, Raquel is helping to unblur the future, not just for herself, but for countless others living with blinding diseases.
Learn more about her art and follow her journey on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
