GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – “All of my help comes from the Lord,” said Lenora McGowan. Her grandmother instilled this message in her from a young age.
Lenora was born blind and graduated from the University of Florida with a sociology degree in 1985.
“You can believe in yourself and somebody else can believe in you too,” said McGowan.
Lenora worked at the Independent Florida Alligator newspaper for 40 years.
She helped start WUFT’s Radio Reading Service, which broadcasts articles, books, and other material to visually impaired listeners.
“When you leave this earth, you want to leave a mark on society so that you can be remembered,” said Lenora. This was
To leave a mark, Lenora wanted to write a book to inspire others to celebrate their differences.
McGowan wrote ‘Butterfly Dreams’ in just 30 minutes while sitting at Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
“The butterflies are in different colors, shapes and sizes. The mother is explaining that to her daughter who is blind. She also talks about trees, flowers, and plants” said Lenora.
Lenora hopes to release the book in Braille soon.
Lenora is a member of the Lions Club, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles and works closely with the Delta Gamma Sorority at UF.
“Lenora started coming over for her weekly Monday night dinners, and it’s just been a tradition ever since, said Delta Gamma member Sabrina Castro. “It’s my favorite part of Monday nights. She’s like our grandma that we all love and talk to” said Delta Gamma member Sabrina Castro.
Delta Gamma’s philanthropy is Service for Sight, which supports people who are blind or visually impaired.
Lenora’s book was made possible with the support of the Putting Families First program.
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