Sam Amico
Sadaya Paige, 11, is blind but clearly has a sunny disposition, not to mention loads of talent.
Videos by Rare
That has been on full display lately, as Sadaya has gone viral both on Instagram and TikTok for her incredible braille reading and singing abilities.
Sadaya was born with what is officially known as septo-optic dysplasia diagnosis, a condition that causes underdevelopment of the optic nerve, pituitary gland and certain parts of the brain, per the Cleveland Clinic, via People.
Her mother, Dora J., said it was difficult news, as she didn’t learn of Sadaya’s blindness until after Sadaya was born.
Sadaya Paige
“Sadaya was diagnosed 15 hours after I gave birth,” J told People. “Upon me cradling her in the nursery, I noticed that her eyes were rolling all around. I was only able to see the white area, which led me to ask the nurses, ‘can my daughter see me?'”
Eventually, the answer was no.
“It gets me sad every time I say it, but I was a single mom throughout my pregnancy and after I gave birth too. I didn’t have a companion there to understand the pain that I felt when I found out my daughter’s diagnosis,” J told People.
“And my family didn’t understand me. There was so much that I had to worry about, finding services for my daughter.”
But soon, Sadaya began to gravitate toward sound — specifically, music.
So any toys that had sounds, household items, she always reacted to them with interest,” J said. “I would say at about age two is when I got her her first little keyboard key piano from Target, and she absolutely loved it.
A True Talent
“Ultimately, she learned how to play her first song on the piano at about four and a half years old. And she’s always been a little singer, but she really fell in love with me when she was about five or six.”
Now, Sadaya has become quite the keyboard player and singer, having taken vocal lessons. She cited Adele, Rihanna, and Andra Day as her biggest influences and favorites.
“Music alone has given my daughter so much boost in her confidence, and she’s been practicing so much effortlessly every single day and has gotten better,” J said.
“… Our intention is more to let others know that, no matter the differences that she or I may have, we’re ordinary people trying to succeed in life. And we’re not letting anything stop us, no matter what.”
