PHOENIX — A Valley woman is inspiring thousands worldwide through social media to live their best life.
Katherine Chavez, a 31-year-old Arizonan, said she lost her sight at age 7 after being diagnosed with Retinoblastoma.
"Everything just happened fast, because the tumor was pretty big and it was actually moving towards my brain, and that's when they had to make the fast decision to remove my eyes," Chavez said.
Chavez wrote on her YouTube page, Katy's Eyes, that she doesn't view her blindness as a disability, but rather as a blessing to inspire, motivate and educate.
"No matter what your disability is like, that doesn't define who you are," Chavez told 12News. " You can be a great parent, you can be a great employee, a great business owner, a great friend. A disability does not determine how good of a person you can be."
Chavez, who attended public school, said she has lived an active life with opportunity.
"In high school, I did cheer middle school, I was in the band," Chavez said. " I went to ASU, go Sun Devils! I graduated from ASU, and I did a study abroad program."
Chavez has been married nearly 6 years and has two children who she incorporates into her videos.
She said it was her husband who encouraged her to create her social media channels where she shows people how she lives her everyday life.
"I think what I love about [my wife] the most is that she sees people for who they truly are," Manuel Rodriguez, her husband said.
Rodriguez said his wife is an amazing person who sees who he is and who he can be.
"People have asked me before, 'Oh why did you marry a blind woman, or what got you into that relationship?' and honestly, when I was looking for a spouse, I wasn't looking for a blind person," Rodriguez said. "I was looking for an amazing woman and she just happened to be blind."
Rodriguez said he helps his wife shoot and edit the videos which inspired the filmmaker inside him.
Chavez's social media pages, called KatysEyes, boasts more than 366,000 followers on TikTok, 4,300 YouTube followers and more than 102,000 followers on Facebook.
Chavez said families around the world have messaged her to share that her content inspires hope for their child who has a disability.
"When I see those I'm just like, 'Wow God!'," Chavez said. "This is my purpose. This is why I went through what I did. It was because through me, people can see hope and find hope for their children."
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.