It's child's play for hundreds of Australian children who are blind
27 January 2010
Max relies on smell, sound and touch.
Eleven-month old Max from Sunbury is among hundreds of Australian children who are living with blindness or low vision. Vision Australia's specialists use play to help children like Max to develop the confidence and skills that will carry them into adulthood.
At only six weeks old, Max's parents, Kelly and Ashley, were told the devastating news that Max was totally blind.
"Of course it was a huge shock to us both and there were lots of tears initially. But we both agreed that we felt very lucky to have Max and that apart from his vision loss he was a healthy baby," confessed Max's mother, Kelly.
Kelly and Ashley were immediately put in touch with Vision Australia and there has been no turning back since.
Vision Australia supports thousands of children and adults who are blind or have low vision to live their lives to the full.
Vision Australia's specialists have long understood that play is vital for the physical, mental and emotional development of a child who is blind or has low vision.
That's why Vision Australia's specialists use play to help children like Max to develop the confidence and skills that will carry them into adulthood.
Max is now learning how to interpret his world with the help of sound, touch and smell instead of sight.
"Until I was put in touch with Vision Australia I had no idea of this other world of blind children and it still surprises me! One of the first things I did after Max's diagnosis was to read about the stories about other children who are blind on the Vision Australia website. I really needed examples and needed someone to say it is going to be OK. This really helped," said Kelly.
Max is the youngest of three boys and is treated no differently to his older brothers.
"Ashley and I agreed that we would not treat Max any differently. In saying that though he does get a bit more attention but we are conscious that he needs more. We soon found out that life is just a bit different but it's still a great life. In fact Max is turning into a really cheeky one year old!" joked Kelly.
With ongoing community support, Vision Australia will continue to ensure children who are blind or have low vision do not struggle later in life to achieve their social, educational and career goals.
To find out more about how you can support children like Max contact Vision Australia today.