Jillian Milton, a seventh-grader at Thompson Middle School in Middletown, was recently told she couldn't run on her school's cross-country team because of her disability.

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She has been legally blind from birth, but has been running cross-country with the help of a guide -- usually her aunt -- since last year.

However, after her mother, Magaly Milton, asked the school to excuse Jillian from gym class to avoid potential injury from flying balls, the school told the 12-year-old she couldn't participate in cross-country either.

Jillian, who was born 16 weeks premature, suffers from retinopathy of prematurity, caused by the abnormal development of blood vessels in the retinas of her eyes. She has no sight in her left eye and only 10 percent vision in her right.

Magaly Milton said any serious blow to the head could cause Jillian to lose whatever remaining sight she has. The young girl already suffered multiple accidents in gym class, including a hit to the head by a volleyball.

When Jillian asked to be removed from dangerous activities, a teacher had her run the field without a guide.

"Sports like baseball or soccer weren't available to Jillian because she can't be around these flying balls or in contact sports," her mother said, "so this was finally a sport that she could do with a running guide and feel just like one of the other kids."

According to what school officials told Jillian's family, students who don't take gym can't be involved in extracurricular sports.

Additionally, the school district told the Miltons that Jillian would no longer be allowed to walk independently through the school, and instead would have to be escorted by a paraprofessional aide.

Magaly Milton said Jillian has been walking independently through the hallways her entire academic career. She trains with an orientation and mobility instructor who introduced Jillian to her new school surroundings last year.

"She's used to walking the hallway with her friends and doing what every middle school kid does," Magaly Milton said, "so to be assigned a person when there shouldn't be any flying balls in the hallway just seems a little silly."

In an emailed statement from the Middletown School District, Superintendent Dr. William George said school officials cannot discuss individual student matters, but said the district is compliant with all state requirements.

In addition, the District does not exclude students from after-school athletic activities unless there is medical documentation from the family's physician restricting participation in physical activities. In a case where there is conflicting medical documentation submitted by the parent or guardian, we ask for further clarification from the family physician. We then follow that physician's final medical recommendation regarding the student's ability to participate in physical activities, both in gym class and in school athletics."

Magaly Milton said her physician only specifically excluded Jillian from gym, not cross-country running, or walking in the hallways.

On Wednesday, in a last-minute decision, Jillian was allowed to run a race at home against Matawan Middle School.

Even with a cold, the young runner managed to finish around the middle of the pack, which is usually where she lands.

"I kind of feel this is unfair because all disabled kids should be able to run or do any activity that they want to do, and people shouldn't take advantage of their disability," Jillian said.

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