DON’T LET ANYTHING STOP YOU FROM LIVING YOUR LIFE

Sebastian

“I’m not willing to let this disease be a barrier.”

Sebastian lives in Cluj-Napoca, where he had moved from his hometown to study architecture. After three years, his life took an unexpected turn when he started experiencing vision issues that turned out to be symptoms of LHON, a rare condition that leads to central vision loss. Forced to abandon his studies, he made the difficult choice to let go of a long-held dream and start over. He reinvented himself, finding a new passion that later became his job. Throughout it all, it was also the unwavering support of his family and friends that helped him find the strength to keep moving forward.

DIRECTOR

Gianpaolo Bigoli

PHOTOGRAPHER

Marco Gualazzini

DISEASE

LHON

From the Director’s Perspective

In a heartbeat, Sebastian’s life changed: from an architecture student, he found himself facing the loss of his sight.
At first, I thought his story was about learning to adapt, but a chance encounter with a friend and their spontaneous embrace revealed something deeper.
In that gesture—one I was lucky enough to capture—I saw the real power of his story: fragments of life that rise above the limits fate tried to impose.

Notes by

Gianpaolo Bigoli

Behind the Photographer’s Lens

What struck me most about the story Sebastian shared with us was the courage he showed in reinventing himself, transforming the plans and dreams he was pursuing in architecture school into new challenges to embrace with newfound strength. Today he approaches this new condition with resilience and determination, finding in his daily routines the ability to rediscover the beauty of life and to overcome obstacles that once seemed insurmountable.

Notes by

Marco Gualazzini