“Nicholas has touched so many lives, not just in Scouting,” said Nicholas’ father John Heuchan to The Avenue News in Baltimore, Md. And he’s right – not only is this Scout making a difference in his community, he’s also breaking boundaries for other children across the US who are battling Juvenile Batten Disease, a fatal genetic disorder.

But despite his condition and subsequent blindness, Nicholas Heuchan earned the first Eagle Scout rank in Troop 117 and did it all a month before his 18th birthday. Nicholas is a member of a special needs troop were members are not restricted to earning Eagle within the usual time frame of 18 years old. Yet he did it anyway, with the help of a strong support system and a little creativity.

Read the full story on this incredible new Eagle Scout and learn how Nicholas made a difference in his community and made his dreams come true.