April Lufriu, a mother of three from Tampa, Florida, is on a journey to bring light to a dark subject.

After a family visit to Shands Hospital in February 2010, retinal specialists confirmed what three earlier ophthalmology visits had suspected – April’s 11-year-old son Brandon was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a retinal degenerative eye disease which over time leads to blindness. While the news was devastating, nothing could have prepared this mother’s heart to hear that doctors, on the same day, were also diagnosing April as well as her 7-year-old daughter Savannahwith the exact same disease.“While I had suspicions about my son (his night-blindness symptoms were an early warning sign), I was in denial. Now, to know that there were two more family member with this terrible disease was even more traumatic!”

“It was a triple whammy! I had a very difficult time dealing with my children’s diagnosis,” April admits. “I became so depressed…I didn’t consider myself, I was just completely devastated about my children. I fell apart and I had to really pray hard, ‘Okay, God, tell me what to do…guide me.’” Later, April realized God had already been laying the foundation for the road He was asking her family to travel. God’s preparation, timing, and plan were perfect.

Looking back, April recalls part of her heart’s preparation. It was 1989, she was nineteen and leaving for work when her mother and older sister Melissa came home after receiving the news that Melissa had RP. “I’ll never forget that day,” she recalls. “I looked at my mom and it was as if she saw death. Back then the diagnosis meant you were just going to go blind… there was no hope.” The darkness of the diagnosis and the uncertainty of what was to come pierced April’s heart.

The progression of her sister’s disease was slow but in 2005-2006, Melissa’s vision began to decline. “RP is a sneaky disease,” April explains. “You can have no issues for a long time and then — boom! — it attacks and there is significant vision loss.” In 2007, in an effort to raise awareness for this and other blinding eye diseases, the sisters established the Tampa Bay Chapter of Foundation Fighting Blindness, a nationally organized charity which relies heavily on volunteers to set up local chapters.

April with her family: son, Chad (L), daughter, Savannah, son, Brandon (BR), husband, George (R)

Because the non-profit foundation was new to the area and had few contacts, April, rather than building a contact list by knocking on doors, re-entered a world she knew a little more about – beauty pageants. Though April’s pageant experience was limited (she entered her first competition at the age of 19), she did win first runner-up for Miss Florida/USA during those early years.

In 2007, almost twenty years later, in God’s perfect timing, and while competing as a married contestant, April had hopes that this venue would bring the media exposure and financial support necessary to help find a cure.

April Lufriu, Mrs. World 2011

In 2010, three months after the family diagnosis, the physical and mental preparation for April as mom, patient, and advocate really began. “You would think I would have been able to handle my children’s diagnosis at the moment I found out. Instead, I fell apart because I was aware of what this disease actually does. It steals your independence. It robs you of your most precious sense…your vision…you sense the world with your eyes.” The realization that her children would experience that loss…would walk into a world of darkness…was frightening.

After weeks of crying and begging God to guide her, April’s husband George helped her find balance. “You know April,” he said, “our kids are going to have issues and this is going to alter our lives considerably but they are healthy. Their lives are not endangered by a disease.” Those words helped her begin to see light in the darkness. “Overall my children are healthy,” she agrees. “I have to look at that as a blessing. I have met so many inspirational, visually impaired people. They astonish me - they see the world without their eyes – they see it with their hearts and their souls.” April realized her hardest job as a mom was going to be to prepare her own children to see the world that way…to find beauty in their darkness...to change their perspective. She made a decision to “let go of the steering wheel of her life and let God be the driver.”

April Lufriu with her husband, George, cheering after being crowned Mrs. World 2011.

When she let go, she saw God work. Armed with a new attitude about an ugly disease and the confidence that “God has a plan,” April went back to the Mrs. America/Florida Organization. “I didn’t know until I was 40 years old what I was going to do with my life,” she confessed. “Now He has shown me the way.” With the strength, peace and confidence God provides, she began competing again. In this last year alone she won Mrs. Ybor City, Mrs. Florida America, Mrs. America, and this past month was crowned Mrs. World 2011 on December 15th.

“Each time I competed everything lined up perfectly,” she notes. “When I was on stage at Mrs. America, I was at peace…so calm. It was as if this sense of tranquility came over me and I just let God do what He needed to do…and I walked away with the crown.”

April with Florence Henderson

The crown will now allow April to advocate internationally for this disease which is more than just a platform. “It is my everyday life,” she clarifies. “It’s why I have so much passion about it because it affects my entire family. When I competed, I wasn’t the most beautiful and I didn’t fit the standard beauty queen mold. The Mrs. World title is more than just outer beauty and vanity though…it’s about the substance you carry and what you can offer to the world.”

To the more than 180 million people worldwide suffering from some type of eye-blinding disease…and to her precious children…April Lufriu tirelessly carries a message of HOPE. Her faith in God gives her HOPE there will be a cure and PEACE that her family can overcome anything with God’s help. While living with impending darkness, April change our perspective ofsight…she reminds us there is beauty in darkness.

You may also visit April’s personal website at www.AprilLufriu.com.

For more information about Foundation Fighting Blindness,visit www.Blindness.org.