Chad “Doc” NeSmith had big plans growing up. From the age of 5, Doc knew that he wanted to play football. Those plans were abruptly changed when he turned 12.
He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa—“tunnel vision”–a genetic disorder that would eventually take his sight. That was the end of football. And eventually led to depression. Doc says his faith wasn’t solid at that time.
Doc’s future wife, Pat, was volunteering at Franklin Graham‘s crusade in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and invited Doc to go. He was moved by the testimonies at the crusade and went forward to accept Christ.
Doc’s relationship with God has deepened ever since. But his competitive spirit remained unfulfilled.
After doing some research, his wife suggested the game of golf. He quickly fell in love with the game.
So much so that Doc went on to win the National Blind Golf Association Championship in 2016 and 2017.
After a few years, the joy of being a champion started to dim so Patricia suggested Doc find a way to give back to the community. Together, along with his parents, they started AVID — A Vision in Darkness. AVID is a program for children as young as 7 who’ve lost their sight, that teaches them how to play golf. Their mission is to get rid of all of the real and artificial things that block blind and visually impaired children who want to play golf.