We welcome Angela Ricketts, an author, business owner, and nonprofit founder, ahead of the show’s 400th episode. Angela discusses her son’s diagnosis at age five with choroideremia, an ultra-rare, progressive blinding eye disease affecting boys and men. She contrasts families who wait to accept the disease with her approach of learning, fundraising, and advocacy.

She shares how grief after losing her grandmother and father led her back to clay, inspiring Sight Stones—thumbprinted clay “worry stones” with a center hole symbolizing vision loss and messages about choosing focus. The donated proceeds (100%) of Sight Stones and her August-released book Never Lose Sight fund research for a cure for choroideremia. She highlights growing hope through gene therapy research and describes integrating the “never lose sight” mission into her St. Louis-based cleaning company’s supportive culture.

[00:00] Choosing Hope

[00:34] Show Introduction

[01:41] Meet Angela Ricketts

[03:49] Son’s Diagnosis

[04:28] Understanding Choroideremia

[05:55] Taking Action Path

[08:08] Not Broken Moment

[11:23] What Are Sight Stones

[12:18] Never Lose Sight Message

[15:13] Grief and Finding Focus

[15:50] Hope in Clay Origins

[21:37] Seeds of Happiness Connection

[23:43] Genetics and Gene Therapy

[25:29] Book and Speaking Mission

[26:46] Break and What’s Next

[27:19] Sponsor Break Better Rate

[28:04] Welcome Corps Refugee Program

[28:49] Back With Angela Ricketts

[30:00] Grandma Inspired Cleaning

[32:53] Ripple Effect Culture

[34:21] Funding Vision Research

[36:23] Waiting Room Sightstone

[38:52] Kids Adapting To Vision

[40:41] Family Coping And Travel

[43:26] Story Matters Takeaway

[46:08] Donations And Gift Ideas

[48:32] Closing Thanks

Takeaways:

• I remind listeners that every day we get to choose what to focus on, even amid crushing uncertainty.
• We created Sightstones — small clay worry-stone tokens stamped with a thumbprint and a hole — to fund research and spread a simple, tangible message.
• I started rolling stones from my garage and basically turned grief into purpose by fundraising for choroideremia research.
• We put 100% of the book proceeds toward research and I truly believe gene therapy will halt this disease for future kids.
• I learned that clay and pottery reconnected me to my dad and grandmother, pulling me out of stuck grief and into action.
• We use Sightstones in corporate settings, schools, and hospitals because a tiny, tangible reminder can change how people see their worth and purpose.
• As a mom I watched my son navigate progressive vision loss since age five, and I want listeners to know their stories matter — never lose sight of purpose, consider giving, because every dollar and shared stone moves research and hope forward.

• Home Page - Sight Stones
• Facebook - Sight Stones
• Instagram - Sight Stones
• Linktree - Sight Stones

This is Season 9! For more episodes, go to stlintune.com

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