Читать книгу Jillian's Story - Robin Benoit - Страница 8

I didn’t know my child couldn’t see.

When I suddenly discovered that Jillian, at the age of five, was legally blind in one eye, I asked myself, “What kind of mother are you that you didn’t know?”

The truth is that I was like many caring and loving parents who have found themselves in the same situation. Amblyopia is not easy for anyone but a professional to detect—especially if the child does not have a lazy or wandering eye. Jillian’s big blue eyes looked completely normal to me.

Throughout her six-year struggle with vision challenges, I repeatedly searched for books to help me better understand her situation. As much as I appreciated the clinical findings of professionals, what I really wanted were personal accounts and stories of parents who had faced similar challenges. I could find nothing.

When we finally, after years of searching, found an alternative treatment for Jillian’s condition using vision therapy, I again looked for books written by parents whose children were using such treatments. Dr. Horning’s absolute conviction that he could help my daughter was reassuring on one level, but I wondered how vision therapy had worked for other families. Would they recommend it? Was there a glimmer of hope that this would work for my child? Again, I found very little to read.

I decided to write the story I wish I could have found. May it be a message of hope, inspiration, and encouragement for others.