FORT LAUDERDALE - Though blind, Jared Hara can see the value of friendship, and he's taking his two best buddies on the voyage of a lifetime.
Jared, a 13-year-old from Maitland, once had perfect eyesight. But a rare degenerative disease struck when he was 11, and he has lost 90 percent of his vision.
Ali Hakim and Jon Hill now act as Jared's eyes - always close by, looking out for him.
"Friendship is really a big part of my life now," Jared said. "My friends always help me."
The eighth-graders from Orlando's Lake Highland Prep School enjoy inner tubing, and their journey that was scheduled to begin this morning is something they'll never forget.
The three will ride a specially designed watercraft, towed behind a boat, from Fort Lauderdale's Pier 66 to Nassau, Bahamas. The 180-mile trip starts at 6 a.m. and should take 8 to 10 hours.
"We thought it would be cool to do something like this, just to show that my vision may be going away, but I'm still here," Jared said. "I don't want to stop now just because I'm losing my sight."
