Meet Thea, a 16-month-old with a world of possibilities ahead

Last year, parents Chloe and Shane joined 100K Your Way and shared the story of their baby Thea, who was born with low vision due to a condition known as Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. This year they’re back and pleased to report that at 16 months old, Thea has been making fantastic progress with the support of Vision Australia.  

“Thea started Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy when she was seven months old,” explains Thea’s mum, Chloe. “We had to wait quite a few months for NDIS funding to kick in, but Vision Australia made sure we were getting therapy straight away by using donation funding. We will be eternally grateful as we feel Thea’s amazing progress is largely thanks to the early intervention therapy she was given,” Chloe shares.   

Through Vision Australia, Chloe and Shane can also access support groups, connecting them to other families that are on a similar journey.  

"It’s nice to be a part of", says Chloe. “Everyone knows exactly what you’re going through which is something I’ve struggled with – feeling like our parenting journey is so different to everyone else around us.” 

This year Thea’s parents will be completing their 100K with a mix of walks on the treadmill, outside with the pram, and maybe even some family bike rides.  

“Vision Australia has been a wealth of support and knowledge for us as new parents to a baby with low vision, they have been there for us every step of the way. It feels good to give back to an organisation that is going to be a part of Thea’s future.” 

 About Vision Australia 

Vision Australia is a leading national provider of blindness and low vision services in Australia. We work in partnership with Australians who are blind or have low vision to help them achieve the possibilities they choose in life.

We support more than 25,500 people of all ages and life stages, and circumstances. We do this through 35 Vision Australia centres in Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia; and through outreach programs in the Northern Territory and Tasmania.

We are a not-for-profit organisation and a major participant and partner in the international blindness community.

You can read more about Vision Australia on the website here.