Meet Hayden

Hayden smiles while wearing gray glasses.

Hayden is a happy kid with a vibrant personality. He was born with a rare disease that caused him to have seizures.

Because of this, Hayden’s parents connected with Cleveland Sight Center and started to work with Barb, an early intervention specialist to identify if his seizures impacted his vision. Through this partnership, Barb has been able to help Hayden’s parents understand what he can see and what he can’t see as he ages. Hayden’s parents are grateful for the resources Barb brought into their lives to help Hayden meet his milestones with the vision he has.

Hayden sits in a chair with toys in front of him

“Working with Barb has been super helpful,” Hayden’s mom, Ashley said. “The education she provided gives us the confidence we need to support Hayden.”

Barb has also opened the door to resources Hayden is eligible for through the American Printing House for the Blind. Through this program, children and families have access to a variety of educational materials, including the CVI book builder. The book builder allows them to make custom books for Hayden. It's hard for him to understand 2-D images in a traditional book, so the book builder allows them to create 3-D books with materials he can touch and feel.

“Barb is very attentive and listens,” Ashley said. “She really looked at Hayden, his needs and what could benefit him.”

Hayden smiles while laying on a pool floaty and wearing sunglasses.

Since working with Barb, his parents have noticed a large improvement in Hayden’s hand eye coordination and visual tracking. They feel like his overall sight is more in unison with the rest of his senses now than it ever was.

An example of this is when his mom took Hayden to look in the bathroom mirror and his vision focused enough that he could see his reflection for the first time!

These little moments are an example of the hope, support and tools Barb and Cleveland Sight Center provide.

“Barb always says it takes a village and it 100% does!” Ashley said. “We're so grateful that Barb has been a part of our village.”

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