When Katia Hadjeb-Rahman immigrated to Philadelphia with her family from Algeria, she had just turned 15 and spoke very little English, a common barrier for many new arrivals from other countries. But for Hadjeb-Rahman, that was only one hurdle.
By the time she arrived here in 2012, she had already undergone two surgeries and several additional procedures under full anesthesia to treat her condition of congenital glaucoma. By the time she was diagnosed at age 2, she had already lost considerable vision.
Now 25, married and a new mother, Hadjeb-Rahman has more than one answer for what it means to thrive: “If the definition is not based on environment but you as an individual making the most of it, then yes, I am thriving,” she said.
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