Issue 20: Dystinct Journey of Kenley McKenna

Kenley McKenna is no ordinary teenager; despite facing the challenges of dyslexia, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and vision issues, such as binocular convergence insufficiency, ocular motor dysfunction, and visual perceptual dysfunction, her journey is defined by resilience, determination, and a passion for making a difference. From her initial struggles with reading to her remarkable achievements as a national champion baton twirler, student ambassador for the Reed Charitable Foundation (RCF), and reigning Miss Jacksonville's Teen, 13-year-old Kenley's journey speaks volumes about overcoming adversity.

I just didn't understand why Kenley was having such a hard time with her sight words.

Kenley's journey began with the discovery of her dyslexia at the age of six. During her kindergarten year, her mum, Jennifer McKenna, diligently worked with Kenley every night to help her practice her weekly list of sight words assigned by her public school teacher. However, Kenley struggled immensely with recalling the sight words despite their efforts. "We reviewed her sight words on flashcards every single night. To say it was a struggle is an understatement. Every night, there were tears, yelling, frustration, anger, desperation, and exhaustion. Kenley literally couldn't recall the sight word I had just held up in front of her face and only turned over 3 seconds before I showed it to her again. I just didn't understand why Kenley was having such a hard time with her sight words," shares Jennifer.

Towards the end of kindergarten, Jennifer decided to visit Kenley's class on her birthday for a special celebration. Little did she know, this seemingly ordinary gesture would uncover a profound realization about Kenley's struggles throughout the year. Jennifer recalls, "There was a giant picture of a coconut tree on the classroom wall. Each student's name was written on a paper coconut, which travelled up the tree as the child learned their sight words. My eyes filled up with tears when I saw Kenley's poor little coconut sitting alone at the bottom of the tree. I knew that learning to read was a struggle for Kenley, but seeing her fall so behind in comparison to her peers made me realize that something was wrong."