RICHMOND, Va. -- A Prince George County girl who has become a social media darling thanks to the power of positivity was recently surprised on "The Jennifer Hudson Show."
Ar’miah Gilchrist was just a few months old when she was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia.
"She was having seizures and she just kept on going backwards. Her head just kept falling back was really, really bad. Her eyes just kept moving back and forth and she wasn't following me around the room, you know, like kids do when they're four months," ," Ar’miah mother, Mariah, told Jennifer Hudson. "And so I took her to the doctor and the doctor ran tests on her and did the brain scan..."
Doctors said the nerves in Ar’miah's eyes are "very, very small," which makes it hard for her brain to understand the vision coming from her eyes to her brain, her mother said.
Mariah told Jennifer Hudson that some people initially viewed her daughter's condition, which caused blindness, like a "walking disease."
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As a result, Mariah started recording motivational videos capturing Ar’Miah’s infectious energy and positive spirit to show that her daughter is capable of anything.
Now the 11-year-old's one-stop online shop for blessings and inspiration, "Ar’miah Unique World," has amassed more than 15 million views.
Ar’Miah told Jennifer Hudson she gets her confidence from talking to God and from her parents’ love and support.
"You just inspired us with your words right now. You are such a light and an inspiration," Jennifer Hudson said. "Oh my God, I'm so happy to have you here."
At the end of the family's interview, Jennifer Hudson surprised Ar’Miah and her family with a four-night Disney Cruise vacation to take their dream vacation.
"Thank you so much," Ar’miah said. "My dreams are coming true. I love to go to Disney World and things like that."
Don't miss "The Jennifer Hudson Show" weekdays at 3 p.m. on CBS 6.
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