13YR OLD BLIND WRESTLER

[VANVLIET]

Max Lamm is a 13-year-old wrestler from Mars, Pennsylvania with an incredible story. He lost his sight as a result of cancerous tumors that developed in both eyes when he was an infant. Despite being unable to see, Max finished last season with a 10-1 record, dominated his weight class in a regional summer tournament and managed to win his school's Geography Bee.

Max credits his guide dog, Seal, for helping him lead an independent and active life. Seal and Max were paired up by MIRA in 2012 and, Max says, they're "best friends."

Max is a newcomer to wrestling, but his coaches and teammates at One More Period Wrestling think he's an outstanding talent who could make it all the way to compete in college.

The Lamm family Optometrist, Dr. Chris Carver, was the first to realize Max had retinoblastoma – a rare form of eye cancer that is almost always fatal if left unchecked. Dr. Carver says an early indication of retinoblastoma can be the appearance of white pupils in photos – a result of the camera flash shining into the eyes and reflecting back through the tumors.