Our Mission, A Mom's Gratitude and a Helped Kid!

Our first post in this new blog comes from a thankful Mother in southern California. We were so touched by her gratitude that we asked her if we could share the letter. Part of the Vision of Children's mission is to improve the lives of visually impaired individuals and their families - we would say, based on this letter, we have done that for the Byzak family! Pictured above is Mom Amanda and Adam who is enjoying how his handheld magnifier helps him read.

We look forward to input from more and more Family Network Members and our researchers as we grow this blog as a resource for all who are touched by blindness and low vision.
<3 VOC

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Dear Vision of Children Foundation, 

Earlier this school year, my five-year-old son, Adam, received an electronic magnifier, donated on your behalf. It has proven to be an invaluable tool in his learning. 

Adam was born with albinism resulting in extremely low vision and is considered legally blind. Despite this, he has found ways to function successfully in his environment. However, now that we have started school, he has new challenges and    more demands on his vision that he did not have before. 

The electronic magnifier has helped him overcome those challenges in so many ways. One of the most important benefits is that he is able to sit with his classmates rather than have to sit separately from them while he uses a large CCTV in the corner of the room. This has reduced his barriers to building friendships--one of our major hurdles right now.

At night, we use the magnifier in the bed when we read books so that he can see the details of the pictures better or, if I am having him read, to see the small print. This makes many more books available to us that were not useful to us before. 

Also, the light in the room can be dim and he can still read because of the built in light on the magnifier. This has given him a wider range of comfortable settings for reading. When he was using the regular handheld magnifier we had to use it with bright light in the room which meant we always had to sit at the kitchen table. The electronic magnifier has made reading a more natural and enjoyable experience for the whole family.

We have also brought the magnifier with us during hikes and other outings because he is able to see so many things in greater detail. I have been able to take pictures of bugs   and patterns on leaves and zoom in on them so that he could see them better. 

Thank you so much for helping our son gain access to the world around him. We are a family on a single income. It would have been a major financial challenge to us to be able to buy this magnifier on our own. Thank you for helping us meet his needs and the needs of our family at the same time.

Sincerely,

Amanda Byzak