When Nicole Rasmussen, 27, lost her sight to a rare bacterial infection four years ago, her dreams became even more vivid.
"When I first lost my eyesight I thought I couldn't be a mother anymore, or at least the kind of mother that I wanted to be," Rasmussen said in a telephone interview from her Cedar City home on Thursday. "Being a mother was my dream. That was the main thing I wanted to do."
Her dream came true, but not as she first envisioned it. Nicole and her husband, Brandon, married in September 1999. A year later, an ongoing health problem became more serious for Nicole, who endured lupus, chemotherapy and kidney failure before being diagnosed with a rare disorder caused by "nocardia" bacteria.
"The bacteria caused swelling in my brain, which hurt the optic nerves," she said. And just like that she was blind.
But Rasmussen also never dreamed that her circumstances would land her on a hit reality television show that grants wishes. Her story will be told tonight on "Three Wishes" airing at 8 p.m. on KSL-TV, Ch. 5.
Last August, host Amy Grant was in Cedar City filming a segment of the show, and Nicole's husband approached producers with his wife's story and her wish to become more independent.
"She's the best mom and she's pretty amazing, but she's been through a lot," said Brandon, who works for the Iron County School District as a computer network specialist. "I just wanted something special for her."
Nicole said giving birth to the couple's now 14-month-old daughter, Peyton, was definitely a dream come true, but full of challenges.
"I was a little nervous at first with each new thing, but I learned it's not so bad. People told me I would have to put a bell on Peyton to know where she was, but I don't. She's such a little talker. I always know where she is," Nicole said.
"About the only thing I really miss being able to do is play the piano. I never could play by ear and I needed the sheet music, so I really miss that."
Ron Gardner, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah, said Nicole faces an exciting future because of her positive nature.
"Most people in our society believe blind people can't do anything, and many blind people have that same misconception," said Gardner, a Bountiful attorney who has been blind since birth. "Our mission is to change what it means to be blind and to help individuals gain a more positive view of blindness."
Gardner said the federation helped make a portion of Brandon's wish come true by providing training and assistance to Nicole so she could travel independently, use the computer and other technology, and learn alternate ways to care for Peyton and her home.
"Brandon and Nicole are well on their way to a happy, independent life," he said. "They are both realizing that she can take care of things. She even taught herself Braille, which is amazing. The real tragedy of my life hasn't been my blindness, it's that I didn't learn Braille until I was 50 years old. We're hoping that Nicole's story will give others hope and raise the public's expectation as to what blind people can really do."
Nicole said she never thought her blindness would ruin her life.
"I never really doubted myself too much," she said. "I just don't think that blindness should stop you from fulfilling your dreams."
Cedar City residents are invited to watch the show together at a community party planned by the local chamber of commerce, said Donna Brown, chamber director. The "Pay it Forward Pajama Party" begins at 6 p.m. in the Sharwin Smith Center at Southern Utah University. Admission is free, although donations of canned food are encouraged, she added.
E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com