FERN
Drawing on her rollercoaster life of exhilarating highs and crushing lows, Fern tells her story of being born with a severe visual impairment and becoming blind by her early twenties. At 19, Fern stepped outside her comfort zone by enrolling on an exchange programme to Western Carolina University USA to study Communication, then moving to Michigan to work in a commercial radio station before returning to the UK.
Fern has met devastating discrimination, ruthless rejection and faced the challenges of crippling anorexia, deteriorating eyesight and thoughts of suicide but believes that through vulnerability comes strength. From being someone who tried to hide her disability, Fern now speaks openly about her sight loss and the effect it has had on her life, believing that sometimes the thing we most want to hide can become our greatest asset.
When you meet Fern, you will be surprised at just how much a blind woman can change your view of the world! Fern's passion for life, fierce resilience and determination to meet every challenge is infectious. Her belief that the strength we need to achieve our aspirations lays in our own hands makes Fern a magnet for positive change.
Although Fern does not have sight, she has incredible vision. People are moved by her honesty, inspired by her words and engaged by her sense of humour. She has the ability to touch others in such an engaging way that it makes her hard to forget.