Eugene’s Story

When Eugene was a baby, his family took him to a pediatric eye specialist who diagnosed him with a condition called Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, which affects his vision. At the time, Eugene wasn’t using his sight much, which slowed down his development, especially in his motor skills.

Looking back on the progress Eugene has made in less than a year, his mother, Alex, shared how the Vision Forward Association and an early intervention teacher for visually impaired children helped their family learn ways to make things easier for Eugene to see, like toys and people’s faces.

The teacher taught the family activities to help Eugene develop his vision, such as focusing on faces and later following lighted toys with his eyes. As Eugene got better at using his vision, his teacher and parents combined those techniques with his physical therapy to support his motor skills. One thing Alex remembers most is a simple yet powerful message: “Treat him like a normal baby.” This advice meant that she shouldn’t assume Eugene couldn’t do things for himself or that he needed help with everything. She realized that he would learn in his own way, using his sight, touch, and hearing.

Now, at 13 months old, Eugene is hitting milestones his mom and teacher were hoping for. He’s crawling, pulling himself up to stand, and communicating with gestures, baby sign language, and words. He even looks around to see if adults are watching him do all of these things! Eugene’s personality is really starting to shine, and it’s clear he’s a social little boy.

One of Alex’s proudest moments came when Eugene started reaching for toys and crawling to get them. The look of pride on his face when he picked up the toys and brought them back to show Alex reflected how proud both he and his mom were. While many parents celebrate these simple milestones, Alex had been uncertain when Eugene would reach them because of the potential challenges from his condition, which could affect his physical growth, cognitive development, and vision.