When Nell was born, her mother Rachel Sutton (37) swore she would help her daughter achieve anything she wanted. She immediately discovered that Nell had inherited the eye disease from her father Paul (37).
The two both have congenital glaucoma – an eye disease that damages the optic nerve.
– Was blind, then I started to see
Rachel and Paul from North Wales were therefore well equipped to cope with their daughter’s challenges.
Nell was born without sight in her right eye, and only very little in the left. In the first year, she underwent a total of 13 operations to preserve her existing vision.
INDEPENDENT: With the help of a blind cane, courage and training, the 7-year-old is able to walk to and from school alone. PHOTO: Matt Barbor
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Gave birth to five children over four decades
Pugs a lot
To help their daughter become as independent as possible, Rachel and Paul enlisted the help of a specialist from the charity Guide Dogs.
The valuable assistance meant that Nell, aged just two, learned to navigate with the aid of a blind cane!
Today, the girl is seven years old, attends second grade at a regular school, and thrives. She has worked her way through school, and when she is going to take part in competitions in gymnastics, she has learned the number of steps before she has to jump, spin – and perform the exercises.
Guide Dogs were so impressed by Nell’s progress that the organization wanted to use her in a national advertising campaign in the UK.
– Wanted a normal life
Nell thought it was great fun to be in the commercials.
– She begged me to be allowed to do more. When I saw an advertisement where they were looking for girls between the ages of five and 18 for a TV series, we signed her up, says Rachel.
Two months later, she was told that the director wanted to do a video interview.
– I thought someone was playing with me. They said that the director was Shawn Levy, the man behind the Netflix success “Stranger Things”, says Rachel.
SUPER TEAM: Mark Ruffalo (tv) has one of the main roles in the Netflix series, which is directed by Shawn Levy. PHOTO: Evan Agostini
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Mounted
And when it was time for the interview, Shawn Levy himself appeared. The world-famous director was completely captivated by the little girl.
It didn’t take long before she was offered to play the young version of the main character in the Netflix series “All the Light We Cannot See” – which also stars Mark Ruffalo (54) and Hugh Laurie (63).
– Sean said afterwards that he chose Nell because she chatted as if they had known each other for years. In addition, she came across as fearless, says Rachel.
HEREDITARY: Dad Paul has the same disease as Nell, while Isac (14) and Martha (5) have normal vision. PHOTO: Matt Barbor
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Soon, Nell and her mother will go to Budapest, Hungary for a recording session, and meet the other stars.
– Nell knows that she has challenges since she is blind, but she doesn’t let herself be stopped, says Rachel.
– If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she answers mum, nurse and actress – in that order, she continues.
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