Through Nash’s Eyes

    The crowd in the Franklin High School gym roared. Students, teachers, and families packed the stands. Their football team was headed to the Texas state semifinal game. And all eyes were on Nash Pils, 17.

    “Nash! Nash! Nash!”

    The blond boy raised his arms, encouraging the crowd to get louder.

    Nash doesn’t play on the football team. But he’s at every game. Instead of a ball, he carries a camera.

    And at this pep rally last December, his community had a surprise for him.    

    The crowd in the Franklin High School gymnasium roared with excitement. Students, teachers, and families packed the stands. They were getting ready to send their football team to the Texas state semifinal game. And all eyes were on 17-year-old Nash Pils.

    “Nash! Nash! Nash!”

    The blond boy raised his arms, encouraging the crowd to get louder.

    Although Nash isn’t a player on the football team, you’ll find him at every game. Instead of a ball, he carries a camera.

    And at this pep rally last December, his community had a huge surprise for him.

    When Nash was born, his brother, Jensen, was 2. Their parents thought both boys would grow up playing football. Then they learned that Nash has Down syndrome. That’s a genetic condition. It affects the way a person looks and learns.

    If you were to meet Nash, you’d probably notice the physical signs first. People with Down syndrome tend to be shorter than average. They often have flatter noses. Their eyes might slant upward.

    Nash learns differently too. He might take longer to master a new skill. Talking with strangers can be hard. They don’t always understand him.

    But Nash’s parents weren’t discouraged when they heard all the things Nash would never do. “We made the decision to not raise him any different than Jensen,” says Nash’s dad.

    They focused on what Nash could do. He played soccer and football. But soon it was clear: He preferred to be on the sidelines with a camera.

    When Nash was born, his older brother, Jensen, was 2. Their parents dreamed of both boys growing up playing football. Then the doctor gave them surprising news: Nash has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the way a person looks and learns.

    If you were to meet Nash, you’d probably notice the physical signs first. People with Down syndrome tend to be shorter than the average person. They usually have flatter noses, and their eyes might slant upward.

    Nash also learns differently from his peers. It might take him longer to master a new skill. Communicating can be challenging. Sometimes it’s difficult for strangers to understand him when he talks.

    But Nash’s parents weren’t discouraged when the doctor listed all the things Nash would never do. “Right then and there, we made the decision to not raise him any different than Jensen,” recalls Nash’s father, Doug.

    That meant focusing on what Nash could do. He played sports, including soccer and football—but it quickly became obvious that he preferred being on the sidelines with a camera.

    Nash first picked up a camera at age 5 or 6. His dad was coaching Jensen’s soccer game. Nash took some photos with his mom’s camera. The photos were great.

    Nash became a fixture at Jensen’s football games. He had a talent for getting the perfect shot. Winning touchdowns, smiling cheerleaders—Nash captured the moments that made each game special.

    Hannah White is a professional photographer. Her husband is a coach at Franklin. She saw Nash taking photos at a game. The two became friends.

    White was impressed with Nash’s work. “He just has this ability to capture people’s personalities in a single moment,” she says.

    Soon other teams wanted Nash to take photos at their games. He was asked to photograph graduation parties. Kids made his photos their profile pictures on social media.

    White saw how much Nash meant to the community. And she got an idea. With a better camera lens, Nash could take even better photos.

    White collected money from the community. The new lens was $2,000. She raised that in no time. “I wanted Nash to know that he’s an important part of the team,” she says.

    Nash first picked up a camera when he was 5 or 6 years old. Doug was coaching Jensen’s soccer game, and Nash started taking photos with his mother’s camera. When the family viewed the pictures later, they were amazed.

    Nash became a fixture at Jensen’s football games. He had a special talent for getting the perfect shot. Winning touchdowns, smiling cheerleaders—Nash captured the tiny moments that made each game special.

    Hannah White is a professional photographer and the wife of a coach at Franklin High. She noticed Nash taking photos at a game one day, and the two became fast friends.

    White was impressed with Nash’s work. “He just has this ability to capture people’s personalities in a single moment,” she says.

    Soon other teams wanted Nash to take photos at their games. People asked him to photograph graduation parties. Kids made his photos their profile pictures on social media.

    White noticed how important Nash was to the community, and it gave her an exciting idea. With a better camera lens, Nash could take even higher-quality photos.

    Without telling the Pils family, White started collecting money from the community— and within just a few hours, she had raised the $2,000 cost of the new lens. “I wanted Nash to know that he’s an important part of the team,” she says.