“Never, Ever Give Up”

BHS senior, CJ Turner, overcomes adversity

CJ+Turner+enjoying+his+graphic+design+class.

CJ Turner enjoying his graphic design class.

Saárah Murphy, Staff Writer

From the tropical year-round weather in Jamaica to the frigid winters on Cape Cod, Claude Junior Turner knew he was no longer at home. Turner is a senior at Barnstable High School and grew up in Jamaica. He and his mother came to the United States in 2011 to seek more opportunities.

Something you may not know about Turner is that he once had full eyesight. Late one night in Jamaica on September 24, 2006, he was abruptly awakened by a close friend of his family’s calling for him to open the door. Turner said “I was struck on the back of my head with a wooden board and thrown outside onto the concrete floor.”

His nose gushed blood and became unconscious. After spending a long time in the hospital, Turner became conscious again, but when he woke up, he said “my memory was completely erased and I didn’t know how to talk or walk. I had to learn everything from scratch.”

“It was like I was out out of this world. I learned how to see, talk, and walk again with the doctor’s help,” said Turner. After the accident, Turner became visually impaired.

His mother felt that Jamaica’s doctors and school systems were not the best for her son. She thought coming to the

United States would be the right decision for them.

Turner’s eyesight has increased 10 percent every year with American doctors’ help; it may reach 100 percent one

day with the support of “God’s grace and the future,” Turner said.

Chris Viens, Turner’s English teacher since his freshman year, said “CJ is a very good student. He is one of the hardest working people that I know.”

Turner said, “it is difficult for me to see other kids getting their work done faster than I can. Even though I get frustrated, it doesn’t stop me.” Viens noticed that, “CJ never, ever gives up.”

In his spare time, Turner said, “I do my homework, listen to music, watch a movie, or talk to a friend or somebody; but I’m always at home. I’m a little bit lonely.”

He views his life as “locked up” since he doesn’t go out a lot and “doesn’t have many friends.”

“I believe I’m alone all the time because of my impaired vision; the accident in 2006 forever changed me,” Turner said.

This past summer Turner got an opportunity to expand his horizons by working through the Blind Commission, for five and a half hours a day, four days a week. Turner worked for The Habitat for the Humanity, located in Yarmouth. “I would work the cash register and help clean furniture donations,” he said.

Turner’s plan after graduation is to “spend another year at Barnstable High School, attend Cape Cod Community College for two years, and then go to a four-year college.”

At a four-year college, Turner wants to “study engineering and learn how to build airplanes. I hope to be an aeronautical engineer one day.”

CJ Turner is a “brave” student said Viens. Turner said he doesn’t look at his disability as a disadvantage; he looks at it as a “gift.”

He said smiling, “I am teaching everyone around me that no matter what happens to you, you can still do the same things everyone else can do.”