One Blue Valley student is set to perform sign language for the national anthem at the KC Blind All-Stars 5K in late September.
Background: Zoe Murrow, a senior at Blue Valley Southwest, first became interested in the deaf and hard of hearing community after she was diagnosed with a rare disease known as Usher Syndrome around the age of 7.
- With Usher Syndrome, Murrow has been progressively losing her vision and hearing since the age of 4.
- By the age of 15, she lost her ability to see print and can now only see lights and shadows.
- “My hearing has been stable since I first got hearing aids when I was four years old, but having a hearing loss has made me curious on learning tactile sign language in case for some odd reason I lose my hearing,” Murrow said.
First performance: With a curiosity for American Sign Language, Murrow learned how to sign the national anthem through the help of her deaf and hard of hearing resource teacher provided by the Blue Valley School District.
- She then first performed the song at a Blue Valley Southwest varsity basketball game.
- “Being able to perform the national anthem was really a way for her to be a part of her public high school,” said Murrow’s mom, Katie. “She thought ‘if I learn the national anthem, I could be a part of the beginning of games and involve the deaf community.'”
- After seeing a video on social media of her signing at a school event, Murrow said organizers for the 5K reached out asking if she would also want to perform at the run.
When Blue Valley Southwest’s Murrow will sign the national anthem:
The 2022 KC Blind All-Stars Foundation 5K Run is taking place on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 24.
- In addition to an in-person run, the event will host a virtual walk/run to encourage friends and family members from across the state and the country to join.
- Proceeds benefit the KC Blind All-Stars Foundation, with the money raised from this year’s event going toward replacing the gym floor at the Kansas State School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kansas.
Future plans: When looking beyond her time at Blue Valley Southwest, Murrow said she hopes to continue her efforts in helping people understand the deaf and blind community.
- Last year, Murrow began her own business called Blind Girl Bling to sell her handmade bracelets. For every piece sold, she donates one dollar to a charitable organization.
- She has also been accepted into MidAmerica Nazarene University, where she hopes to begin studying psychology in the fall.
Key quote: “Educating people on blindness and hearing loss has always been kind of an important thing to me because you can never get too much education about it,” Murrow said. “I like knowing their culture, and I find learning about other cultures is really important to me.”
