In the fall of 1999, Melvin James was a freshman at Wilberforce University, where he received partial scholarships for art and basketball.
Everything seemed to be going fine, until he noticed something unusual while sitting in class.
"I realized I couldn't read the book," James said.
Shortly thereafter, James was diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, a condition that affects approximately one in 8,500 people and that leads to the degeneration of the optic nerve, according to the International Foundation for Optic Nerve Disease.