girl playing with sand

Layla’s Story: Learning is Fun

February 2023 – Layla was born on Christmas Day, five years ago. Despite the joyous occasion, her parents, Salvador and Roxana, were faced with uncertainty when they learned their daughter was severely visually impaired due to glaucoma and aniridia. Layla endured multiple surgeries to relieve pressure in her eyes that first year, and more recently, a corneal transplant; yet her vision is still extremely limited. The family faced a difficult journey, but they were determined to build the very best future for their daughter.

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Anadalia: Best Friends

February, 2022 Our year-end mail campaign featured kindergartner Anadalia who enrolled at the Blind Children’s Center as a 7-month-old and is poised to graduate this year. She has flourished during her time at the Center and is a particularly social child who makes friends easily. 

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Xavi: “I Did It!”

August, 2019 – Xavier spontaneously exclaimed those three words as he walked away with his diploma from the Blind Children’s Center. For the eight year-old, the moment was the culmination of a long and often arduous journey. Born prematurely with multiple disabilities including Cerebral Palsy and Cortical Visual Impairment, Xavier’s early school years were unlike most, even at the Blind Children’s Center.

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A college-aged woman who is visually impaired puts her arm around a kindergarten boy with glasses, who smiles at his iPad in his classroom

Future is bright for Center alumna

August, 2017 – From the moment Karen Arcos, PhD entered the Blind Children’s Center as a totally blind 6-month-old, Karen’s parents and teachers knew she was capable of great things.

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A young boy with glasses runs in front of a playground

TyShawn Lewis: It Takes A Village

May, 2017 – On April 13, 2008, Tyis Conner went into labor four and a half months into her first pregnancy. Her son, TyShawn Lewis came into the world weighing just one pound five ounces and measuring 12 inches long.  “They told us babies born that small have little chance of surviving,” Tyis remembered. Miraculously TyShawn pulled through and defied all the odds.

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A boy with glasses stands outside and smiles

Chris’ Story: Ready For Success

May, 2016 – Anne and Todd thought something was a little different with Christopher during those early months, but they weren’t sure. “We noticed he startled easily,” Todd said, “and he cried more than Maddie had. But, of course, every child is different.” Over the course of the next two months, Anne and Todd realized Chris wasn’t visually tracking objects properly and they became nervous. They began doing online research and the results were overwhelming.

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A young man smiles in front of the Coliseum in Rome

Gabriel Lopez: In My Own Words

September, 2015 – I was a student at the Blind Children’s Center from 1996-2000, and I return to volunteer as frequently as I can. It has always been very clear to me that the Center’s mission is to provide students with the tools they need to take on the world and succeed throughout their lives. For me, and other students who are blind or visually impaired, assistive technology, like the devices pictured on this page, have been so important.

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Three young girls with glasses talk outside

Jocelyn Riddle: Three’s Company

June, 2015 – The first day at a new school is never easy—a new building, new teachers, and lots of new classmates. Now imagine your first day as an eight year-old who is completely blind. Where is the building’s entrance? The classroom? The bathroom? It sounds terrifying.

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A teenage girl in a neon green Blind Children's Center tank top running a marathon

Emma’s Story: The Winner’s Circle

March, 2015 – When runner #10706 crossed the finish line at the 2015 ASICS LA Marathon, a 26.2 mile run brought an entire family’s story full circle. Her name is Emma Leitzinger and her t-shirt read Blind Children’s Center, representing the first school she attended. In many regards, Emma was no different from the other 25,000 runners on the course that day. Watching her race past with a long, natural stride, she seemed like a born runner.

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A young boy looks at the camera without smiling while standing in his classroom

Hernandez Brothers: Healing The Whole Family

September, 2014 – Some might say the mission of the Blind Children’s Center is right in the name. But scratch a little deeper and you will find an organization that not only fosters the education of children who are visually impaired, but also meets the needs of their parents, siblings, and extended family.

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A young girl with glasses smiles on the playground

Ysabella Arboleda: The Girl With The Magical Smile

June, 2014 – If you visit the Blind Children’s Center on a typical school day and find yourself walking around the playground during recess, you just might catch a glimpse of her. Some days you’ll find her sitting with her favorite teacher in the big swinging chair, seemingly just taking it all in. Other days you’ll spot her in her walker, making strides, bigger and more easily than she did the week before. She’s Ysabella Arboleda, the little girl with the magical smile.

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A young boy with glasses and a white cane stands outside in a blue graduation cap and gown

Nico, Bright and Social

March, 2014 – After a year of watching their second child develop, Irma Gomez and her husband Sergio noticed something was different in the way young Nicolas studied objects, toys, and other children. “He would lean in closer or put objects closer to his face than you’d expect,” Irma remembered. “At first, we thought it was just Nico’s unique way of learning and interacting, but soon, we realized something was wrong with his vision.”

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