“From time to time we each encounter a struggle, a setback, that doesn’t exactly fall in line with our plans.
I never planned on raising blind children. I never planned to launch a research organization. But I did face the challenges in front of me and learned how to not just survive, to thrive.
It’s my turn to help others learn what I’ve learned.” Kristin Smedley
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“Life is funny… sort of.” That’s Kristin’s way of looking at the world! Kristin Smedley is an award winning non profit leader, speaker, and up and coming author – but she never planned on any of that. Kristin did plan to be a great, like Teacher of the Year great, third grade teacher… but her personal path to greatness took an unexpected turn when two of her three children were diagnosed as blind. She quickly had to learn all of the tools of blindness and get them into the hands of her sons. She also had to build a team of experts that would help her navigate this path that she had not been trained for.
Kristin speaking at Univ of PENN’s Rare Disease Symposium
Kristin’s two blind sons, Michael and Mitchell, are now thriving. The systems Kristin has put in place for her boys have worked to great success thus far. Her boys have achieved great things in blind skills as well as in the sighted world with highlights including baseball championships on “sighted” neighborhood teams, Distinguished Honors in “regular” public school, and finalists in an International Braille competition. Her boys are role models for blind children and inspirations to countless people.
Kristin on Philadelphia’s PHL17 Morning News
In 2011, Kristin coordinated a new team: one that is changing the path of her boys and thousands of others. Kristin co-founded and leads the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation, a 501c3 non profit and the only patient organization in the world for CRB1-LCA/RP, the rare eye disease that affects her boys and thousands of others. In less than five years Kristin led the CRBF to raise over $1 million, introduced the first ever legislation in the United States Congress in Braille, and has moved rare eye diseases from rarely talked about to being top of mind and talked about in key circles.
Kristin’s inspirational and humorous style leaves audiences of all sizes wanting to hear more. Kristin is available for all types of events!
A SAMPLING OF KRISTIN’S PRESENTATION TOPICS (click on the icons to read the description of the presentation):
Recent places where Kristin has spread her transformational message:
PHILADELPHIA TEEN FASHION WEEK, KEYNOTE, PHILADELPHIA, PA
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA & GLOBAL GENES PANELIST, PHILADELPHIA, PA
TEXAS ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION OF THE BLIND AND VI – KEYNOTE, HOUSTON, TEXAS
PENNSYLVANIA BIO CONFERENCE 2015 – RARE DISEASE ROUND TABLE PANELIST, PHILADELPHIA, PA
STEVENSON UNIVERSITY – START SOMETHING THAT MATTERS CONFERENCE PRESENTER, STEVENSON MARYLAND
ASK BON BON SHOW, TV SHOW FEATURED GUEST, THEASKBONBONSHOW.COM, NEW YORK, NY
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND ANNUAL CONVENTION – SPECIAL EDUCATION TASK FORCE PANELIST, DALLAS TEXAS
BIOCENTURY TV, CREATING HOPE: CURES FOR KIDS EPISODE, TV SHOW GUEST, WUSA CHANNEL 9, WASHINGTON, D.C.
CENTRAL BUCKS YMCA & CR CARES FOUNDATION – SMEDTALK PRESENTATION, DOYLESTOWN, PA
IMMACULATA UNNIVERSITY, DANCING IN THE DARK EVENT KEYNOTE, IMMACULATA, PA
BUCKS COUNTY ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED ANNUAL MEETING, PRESENTER, NEWTOWN PA
HOLLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, PRESENTER, HOLLAND, PA
MAUREEN M WELCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, CHURCHVILLE, PA
COCKTAILS FOR THE CURE, IVYLAND, PA
BIKE THE BASIN EVENT, RICHBORO, PA