When you meet Chris Lomax, one thing becomes clear: vision isn’t always about what you see.
The legally blind 29-year-old baker from Hornell, NY, just celebrated his birthday and a national spotlight all in one morning. Lomax, who lost his sight at age 5 after brain surgery, was featured on CBS Mornings’ Dear David segment for building a booming bakery business, Desserts by Chris Lomax, out of Racalto’s restaurant.
“I want people to know that, obviously there are going to be barriers in life, but there is always going to be a way to get around them,” Lomax said.
Friends, family, and community members packed Racalto’s for a brunch watch party and sang “Happy Birthday” to the star of the day. “I am excited to see everyone here and I am excited for everyone to try my desserts,” Lomax told diners with a grin. Then he added with a laugh, “If anyone wants a picture or an autograph, it’s going to be $10 in that corner.”
Lomax’s segment aired just after 8:30 AM. CBS contributor David Begnaud shared how Lomax told his first-grade teacher that he would one day open a bakery in Hornell, and now, he’s done just that.
“Though he is blind, his vision for his future has been clear,” said Begnaud. But for years, others focused on his disability, not his gifts.
That changed when Racalto’s took a chance on him. “We decided to give him the job and Chris was overwhelmed,” said co-owner Joe Huang-Racalto. “We said, ‘Look, we are in this together.’”
Soon, Lomax’s sweets were flying off the shelves. The restaurant partnered with him to create his own business within their walls, a grab-and-go dessert station now known as Desserts by Chris Lomax.
“We are just giving him the foundation to do what he does best,” Huang-Racalto added. “And what he does best is baking.”
Lomax credits Racalto’s manager Samantha Cole as a huge part of his journey. “She is an amazing human,” he said. “There are so many things I have learned from her.”
And his mom, Mary? She summed up what everyone was feeling: “He’s very humble. That’s the word I want, humble. He struggled a long time trying to find his place, and look at him now.”
With his trademark wit and warm heart, Lomax hopes his story opens minds. “When you look at a blind person, don’t look at them as a blind person, look at them as human,” he said. “Give them the chance to show you what they got.”
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