Blind Childrens Center

4120 Marathon Street, Los Angeles, California 90029 (323)664-2153

A family-centered agency serving children with visual impairments

IN THIS ISSUE

Celebrate the holiday season with a gift to the Blind Childrens Center. Your gift will help the children reach their goals and celebrate their achievements. It is a gift that will keep on giving all year through.

Hope and friendship At the Blind Childrens Center

At 22 months and 21 months old respectively, Ruby and Kristin are bestfriends. Like most friends they have a lot in common. They are delightful little girls with happy smiles, dark hair and big brown eyes, but they share much more than this.

The girls were born at Queen of Angeles Hospital one month apart. Both were premature, Ruby weighing 1 pound 5 ounces and Kristin weighing less than a pound. Each was transferred to Childrens Hospital, where they shared a room in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Ruby and Kristin have similar diagnosis, Retinopathy of Prematurity, which means they share many health challenges including severe vision loss. As their parents anxiously shared their concerns and hopes they became close friends. “We all just started talking one day in the NICU; comparing stories and talking about our daughters’ health issues,” said Xiomara, Kristin’s mom. “We’re all such good friends now. We support one another.”

When Ruby’s parents, Adia and Roberto, found out about the Center from their doctor, they quickly told Kristin’s parents. The girls were enrolled in the Center’s Infant Program at 16 and 15 months old, and now attend two days a week.

“We’ve seen a great improvement in Ruby’s social skills,” said Adia. “She used to cry a lot and was very attached to me. I couldn’t even leave the room without her crying. Now, she’s much more independent and comfortable in her surroundings. She loves coming to school and being with her teachers and Kristin.”

“Kristin is learning so much here at the Center,” said mom Xiomara. “She feels safe now exploring her environment, I don’t know what we would do without the Center,” she added. “It’s a wonderful place, so comfortable and family oriented.”

The girls are very active. Their faces light up when they are happily playing together. Their teacher Marleny is delighted to have them in her class this year. “Both girls have just started walking and are very proud of that,” said Marleny. “We are also working on eating, which is difficult for the girls because they both still have feeding tubes. They are also developing skills by experimenting with shapes and textures. One of their favorite activities is reading time,” she added, “because they get to turn the pages. They just love turning the pages.”

Next year, Ruby and Kristin will move into the toddler group where they will attend class five days a week. We look forward to watching these two little friends continue to learn and grow.

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