Emily Zimmerman wants everyone to know she is a normal teenager.

"I just wish people would realize that I'm still the same person," said the Silver Bluff High School sophomore, who lost her sight in September. "I just have to do things differently."

The 16-year-old continued: "I can still shop, but people just have to explain what I'm looking at. I can play dominoes -- they have raised dots -- and we have a Scrabble game with Braille on it."

Emily lost her vision because of a persistent brain tumor. She had four surgeries to try to remove it. The last surgery restored blood flow to the optic nerve, but it was too late -- the damage was done.

She still has a tiny tumor left, and laser treatments seem to keep the growth under control. Her prognosis is good, according to her parents, Janet and John Zimmerman.

The ordeal has tested the family's faith.

Her father is the pastor of River of Life Church in Aiken.

"God's grace was there," Mrs. Zimmerman said. "You do what you have to do. I told Emily we will handle it with grace, dignity and take one day at a time and we'll make it through."

Before her freshman year, Emily prayed that she would make an impact on her school. Mrs. Zimmerman later found out about her daughter's prayer.

"Emily has made a far greater impact than she probably would have made if she was just one of the bunch," she said.

Emily's take on her life since becoming blind is positive.

"I could have handled this with a good attitude or a bad attitude," she said. "Without my faith in God I would have had a bad attitude. He is what got me through this. He told me everything was going to turn out for the good."

Emily's first public step after blindness was scary, emotional and courageous. She addressed the student body of Silver Bluff at the Christmas assembly in December, waiting until the night before to make the decision.

"We all need encouragement. It was good for the students to hear from one of their peers and I'm sure the adults needed to hear that, too," said Jill Jett, Emily's Spanish teacher at Silver Bluff. "It was a reminder for the students and teachers of their gifts; use what you have and don't whine about what you don't have."