Eddy's Eagles story

At just two weeks old, Eddy’s parents, Lauren and Chris, noticed some abnormalities with Eddy’s eyes. Following this, Eddy was found to have been born blind, with a diagnosis of bilateral retinal detachment.  

“We used the SFR last year as a way to let all our family and friends know that Eddy had recently been diagnosed with blindness, so it was a great way for us to get our message across and also do it in a way that helped other kids just like Eddy to get the support they need in life. The best part of us doing the SFR was the shock of the overwhelming support that we received from everyone. It’s an event that made us feel supported in a community that we were just about to join with Eddy, so it was a great day out.”  

Lauren – Eddy’s Mum 

Gemma's story

Gemma was only five months old when she was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma, a diagnosis which came as a bolt from the blue for her mum, Nova. Over the next year, Gemma underwent four procedures to save what they could of her vision, ultimately resulting in a tube implant being inserted. This condition has left Gemma with limited functional vision and and see only rough shapes and colours from her left eye. 

“We are so proud of the milestones that Gemma has achieved over the years and it’s truly thanks to the support from Vision Australia, I believe Gemma can live whatever type of life she wants to lead.” 

Nova - Gemma's Mum

Jimmy's Story

Jimmy was born with a genetic condition that resulted in glaucoma, aniridia and nystagmus. As a result, he struggles with distance and depth perception, as well as near sighted focus. By age 2, Jimmy had undergone 15 surgeries.

“At birth, Jimmy’s eyes were silvery-grey, and he was extremely sensitive to light and kept his eyes closed the first few weeks. At 3 weeks of age Jimmy underwent his first surgery to treat his glaucoma,”

Ana - Jimmy’s mum

Lani's story

10 years ago, Lani was diagnosed with glaucoma, just two years after the birth of her firstborn son, Ethan. Despite the challenge, Lani has continued to thrive, returning to work, joining sports teams and becoming a mother to two beautiful boys.

“Technology enabled me to return to work, making me feel as though my life had been reborn. This newfound independence and connection reminded me that challenges can lead to profound growth and new beginnings,”

Lani.

Sienna's story

When Sienna was just 4 weeks old, her parents, Kiara and Matt, noticed something unusual about her vision. Following numerous tests, when Sienna was 7 months old, she was diagnosed with Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a rare genetic condition resulting in vision loss and blindness.

“We hope that Sienna grows up to be a strong independent lady, who can tackle any challenge that comes her way. She is already proving to us that she can do everything every other child can her age, just in her own way and time. We feel so proud to be her parents and watching her learn and develop is really beautiful,”

Kiara - Sienna's Mum

Finn's story

From the moment Finn was born, Claudia, his mother, noticed abnormalities with his sight. Following numerous tests and appointments, Finn was diagnosed with CEP290-relayted ciliopathies just before his first birthday.

“Vision Australia have supported us from the moment that it was identified that Finn had vision issues. It was all a bit of a blur at the time because I didn’t really understand what was happening, or even really believe that Finn might be blind,”

Claudia - Finn's Mum