Fetty Wap is probably one of the more recognizable newcomers to the hip-hop scene, since he has an eye deformity that he doesn't hide. According to MTV News, Fetty lost his eye to congenital glaucoma when he was a kid.
He doesn't wear a prosthetic eye to cover it up, and that inspired Jayden Vaden, a young boy from Denver who also lost an eye. Jayden's mother, Brenda Vaden, took to Facebook to thank Fetty for giving her son the confidence to go without his prosthetic eye.
"Today I am forever thankful to a young man named Willie Maxwell, aka, Fetty Wap. While his music is catchy (not always agree with his lyrics but hey who am I to judge … ), I'm not necessarily his fan (although Trap Queen is my jam), BUT today I'm his biggest fan," Vaden wrote.
She went on to describe how her son Jayden was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at age 1 and how he had to have his right eye removed two weeks later.
"He's worn a prosthetic eye since then. He has always been terrified of taking it out and would not be caught without it … and then comes along Fetty Wap," Vaden explained.
"Jayden, let it be known, is a Fetty Wap fan, a real fan, not like me ha! Well, today, after weeks of asking, Jayden is venturing [into] the world without his prosthetic," Vaden said. She said that she was a bit anxious about Jayden's decision because the world can "be cruel," but ultimately she's proud of her son and thankful to Fetty Wap.
"This young rapper unknowingly gave Jayden something we weren't able to give him—the confidence to be different—and I am grateful to him," she said. "We'll be purchasing his album, a small thank you to him for changing Jayden's life forever."
Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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