MEDIA COVERAGE

FOX 13 Features Utah Teen’s Reading Journey and Eye-Tracking Challenges

A Utah family’s story about years of reading frustration, and the discovery of eye-tracking problems, was featured by FOX 13 Salt Lake City.

Published September 16, 2026

Featured by FOX 13 Salt Lake City

“I couldn’t read;” Utah teen shares journey from frustration to confidence

FOX 13 Salt Lake City | Reported by Julia Sandor | September 15, 2026

[ READ THE ORIGINAL FOX 13 STORY → ]

A Utah family’s experience with years of reading frustration recently became the focus of a FOX 13 Salt Lake City news feature.

Seventh-grader Damian Jump told FOX 13 that reading had once been so difficult and frustrating that he did not like doing it. His mother, Annica Jump, described him as intelligent and capable, yet said he struggled to keep his place, mixed up letters, skipped the ends of words, and sometimes pointed to the wrong line while reading.

The family initially suspected dyslexia. According to the FOX 13 report, a friend later suggested they investigate whether eye tracking might be contributing to Damian’s difficulty.

That search led the family to Dr. Eldon McMurray, founder of Eyes Up Reading.

According to FOX 13, Dr. McMurray observed that Damian’s eyes were tracking at different speeds. Damian then participated in exercises intended to help coordinate his eye movements while reading.

Damian later told FOX 13:

“Now, if the teacher needs me to read something, I can just read it with ease.”

Looking Beyond a Single Explanation

Damian’s experience raises a question that can sometimes be overlooked when a capable child continues to struggle with reading:

When a reader repeatedly loses place, skips words or lines, or becomes unusually frustrated by reading, could visual tracking be one part of the picture worth evaluating?

Eyes Up Reading does not suggest that every reading difficulty is caused by eye tracking. Damian’s story represents one family’s experience.

As Dr. McMurray explains:

“Families often assume every reading struggle has the same cause. Damian’s story is a reminder to look carefully at what the reader is actually experiencing before deciding what kind of support may help.”

— Dr. Eldon McMurray, founder of Eyes Up Reading and a former University Professor with a Doctorate of Education in Reading

A Message for Other Struggling Readers

The FOX 13 story also features Damian’s mother, Annica Jump, who now works in reading support.

She explained that Damian wanted other children who struggle with reading to know that they are not alone, and that difficulty reading is not a measure of intelligence.

For families who have watched a bright child struggle despite continued reading support, Damian’s story offers another question to consider rather than a one-size-fits-all answer.

Read the Original FOX 13 Report

The complete FOX 13 Salt Lake City story includes Damian and Annica Jump’s interviews and Dr. McMurray’s discussion of Damian’s eye-tracking difficulties.

“‘I couldn’t read;’ Utah teen shares journey from frustration to confidence”

FOX 13 Salt Lake City — September 15, 2026

[ READ THE FULL FOX 13 STORY → ]

About Eyes Up Reading

Eyes Up Reading provides educational reading-vision services, including its Reading Vision Assessment and Reading Vision Tutoring, with a focus on reading challenges associated with eye tracking and related visual skills.

Could eye tracking be part of your child’s reading struggle?

[ LEARN MORE ABOUT EYES UP READING → ]

Media Contact

Michelle Novak
Senior Reading Vision Tutor
Eyes Up Reading
[email protected]
417-290-0971