When Bonnie was only two weeks old, her parents and doctor noticed that her vision was not tracking the way it should and she was referred to an ophthalmologist and connected with Vision Australia.
Bonnie was diagnosed with oculomotor apraxia, a neurological disorder that causes problems with voluntary horizontal eye movement. Children with this condition have difficulty moving their eyes in a desired direction. ‘‘We had an idea of what we thought she could see, but it was reassuring to hear from a professional to say yes, she can see up to 20cm, bright objects, shiny things and some advice on some things that could potentially do activities to develop her vision further’’ Kate said.
One year later, Bonnie and Kate love being active and outside and are looking forward to raising funds to help support other children who are blind or have low vision like Bonnie and families like theirs who require the support of Vision Australia.
“Vision Australia were there to support our family during a difficult time. There were a lot of questions regarding Bonnie’s vision and what the future looked like for her. Having the amazing staff at Vision Australia provide us information, ideas and guidance through it all really made a difference to our experience, and we are very grateful” Kate shares.
Vision Australia faces a funding gap of more than 2.5 million each year. We rely on the generosity of supporters like you to continue delivering our specialised services to the increasing number of children and young people who are blind or have low vision seeking our support.
By supporting and raising funds for Vision Australia, you will enable mobility experts to provide vital support such physiotherapy sessions to help people like Bonnie move with coordination and balance as well as orientation and mobility training to help them navigate their growing world safely.
Finally, some words of encouragement from Kate ‘’If you’re thinking about entering in the Nike Melbourne Marathon and fundraising for Vision Australia, go for it! You’ll be working towards a challenging yet rewarding goal and raising funds for a great cause at the same time!’’
Without the incredible support of community fundraisers like you, stories like Kate and Bonnie’s would be incredibly rare. The vital funds that you raise mean that somebody’s life can be changed for the better. Help us support people who are blind or have low vision live the life they choose. https://melbmara2024.grassrootz.com/vision-australia
