At 6 months old, my son was diagnosed with Leber's Congenital Amorosis (LCA), total blindness on both eyes. I'll never forget that dr's visit and the initial shock I felt at the time. The Doctor gave me a piece of paper that read: Blind Babies Organization with a contact name and phone number. The next day I called and spoke to the contact I was given. At the time I never would've thought that this phone call would be the link that changed our lives, our son's life, from total despair, to the wonderful journey we've had of raising our son. With the guidance and support of BBF we started early intervention. The rest is history. Our son is now in 1st grade. He can read and type Braille, swims, rides a bike, jumps on his trampoline, uses a cane and so much more... The events and activities through BBF are always special because they are like an extended family that truly cares and has been there every step of the way in our journey. If I could give anything back to them it would be award, after award, after award. They deserve to be acknowledged for making the impossible, very possible. Thank you BBF. We will always appreciate your organization. Much Love. Julie, Mike and Tanner Long
My son was born with low vision and multiple disabilities. Even though I had worked in the blindness field for over ten years I was dumbfounded. BBF came into our lives with care, compassion support and some neat toys for Jacob. The very best thing Dottie did for me was to accompany me to the eye doctor with Jacob. She took notes for me as I usually went into a fog while the doctor spoke. She would call me the next day and tell me what he had said. BBF is over 60 years old and have helped many family and children.
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My son was born with a visual disability called cortical visual impairment (CVI). Despite having worked in the area of education for students with visual impairments for more than 10 years, I was absolutely stunned. Blind Babies Foundation was wonderful. Our Home Counselor visited regularly, was available by phone 24/7 and lent us appropriate toys to help stimulate Jacob's limited use of his vision. Most importantly, she accompanied me to his eye appointments, took notes and called me the next day to report what the doctor had said. This was necessary because I was a total basket case in the eye doctor's office and generally couldn't remember anything he said. All this happened almost 30 years ago and Jacob is now grown up, has his MSW and is working for an Independent Living Resource Center in Santa Barbara, CA. BBF was a major player in Jacob's "village". Don't know how we would have managed without Blind Babies Foundation. I am now a volunteer for BBF and am trying to pay back some of what I received.
Outstanding organization that places the family first in their service delivery model. I have the utmost respect for the dedication and professionalism of Blind Babies Foundation staff and their Board of Directors. CLASS ACT!
I volunteered at the Beeper Egg Hunt this year and it was a lot of fun! It was amazing to see firsthand the awesome work that BBF does with all of their families. The seeing-eye-dogs were a nice added bonus :)
In 2012 my baby girl was diagnosed with Joubert syndrome that affected her vision and her muscle tone. At this time i was really emotional and needed alot of support.In the most difficult situation We were put in the hands of Pam Champin who guided us every step off the way without her we could have been lost , always has wonderful suggestions that might help and improve my daughter eyesight she is available by phone, lent us appropriate toys to help stimulate Arlyns vision most importantly she accompanied me to her eye appointments take notes and ask questions after the appointment she takes time to discuss .I'm forever grateful to Pam champin and Blind Babies foundation and will always appreciate her compassion , expertise and sensitivity to my daughters Arlyn needs .
My step daughter became blind at age 6 months from a probable SIDS episode. The Blind Babies Foundation served her and her family with home visits, counseling to the family, and assistance with interactions with medical and educational staff! This little one would not have been able to grow into a happy young adult with the early intervention provided by Dottie Bridge and her colleagues. We are forever grateful to Blind Babies!
There is simply nothing like BBF anywhere. Imagine getting a frightening diagnosis, then having someone who fully understands your child's medical conditions, their developmental challenges and the emotional roller-coaster the family has just jumped aboard arrive on your doorstep.
The support, advise and expertise is second to none. BBF wrote the book on services for blind and low vision infants and preschoolers.
When my daughter Sharon was born in 1984 we soon realized that she was legally blind. We were referred to Blind Babies Foundation, and were put in the hands of Dottie, who guided us every step of the way. Without her we would have been lost. I am forever grateful to Dottie and Blind Babies Foundation and will always appreciate her compassion, expertise and sensitivity to my daughter's Sharon needs.
In July of 2007 my beautiful son Logan was born. I could not be happier with my new bundle of joy. Everything about Logan is perfect and we had a hard time being apart from each other. Very few people would watch Logan and give my husband and I time together because he would cry the whole time. Even I felt like crying when we were apart. I knew something was different with Logan and was assured that he was fine, "go home, his eyes are still growing, he'll start to focus on things soon." I wanted to believe that Doctor so badly. After a few months and over a dozen Doctors we finally found Logan's current Doctor that we see bi-annually. The moment we stepped into his office he gave us a diagnosis for Logan and asked us if we would like for him to call Blind Babies Foundation on our behalf and give us a referral. I vaguely remember much after this moment. I think it was just the word blind that put me in a trance of just non-belief that this was my life and that there was anything wrong with my son. Blind Babies called me the next day and they came out to the house the day after. Blind Babies gave me the initial support I needed to get through the shock of having a diagnosis of a baby with no vision. Blind Babies Foundation helped me wade through the muck of services provided for Logan, our first IFSP, how to get help with our first IEP, and most important what I can do to help Logan now! The only regret I have is not having Blind Babies Foundation available to Logan earlier. The earlier the intervention in a child's life with special needs the better chance that child has at an independent future. Logan just had his first day of 2nd grade yesterday! He is a part of running club, he does dance and is happy to be back with all the friends he made last year. Logan walks with a cane and because of Blind Babies early intervention and parent support we all gave Logan the confidence to be independent, just like everyone else. Thank you Blind Babies Foundation!
Ten years ago my granddaughter was born with HIE, Micricephaly, CP, and CVI ( cortical vision Impairment The people at Blind Babies were called and we were assigned Pam Chapin who worked tiredlessly with our grand daughter. What a lifesaver she was she had wonderful suggestions that might help and improve her eyesight. From constructing a PVC play gym to picking up gold fish, using a early communication board. So many things. She saw us through those first difficult years and helped us find ways to encourage my granddaughter to use what sight she might have.
We were so lucky to have Pam as our therapist and give thanks for all her help. It wouldn't have been possible without Blind Babies Foundation. Forever thankful.
Blind Babies Foundation serves families of children with various disabilities as well as blindness. The children usually have been identified somehow as babies with visual impairment. Blind Babies counselors, teachers of the visually impaired, connect with the child in the home, bringing hope and strategies for raising these children. As the parent of a child with visual impairment, the grandparent of a multiply disabled child with visual impairment, I know how isolated these families feel. The support and help provided by Blind Babies Foundation is a lifeline that these families really need and appreciate. I know many families who have been served by Blind Babies Foundation. The support offered is life-changing, for parents and children, enabled to live a "normal" and fulfilling life. One of the children I know, now grown, has gone on to earn a Master's degree and serves disabled people himself. Another is a professional chemist and professor of chemistry at a California University, who offers blind teenagers an opportunity to master chemistry despite their visual impairments. The start enabled by Blind Babies counselors has helped them and many others to go on to achieve their full potential, rather than being relegated to busy work in their classrooms, being left behind their sighted peers.
I have been involved with BBF since 1979. First I was a home teacher for BBF, working in the Central Valley and several other areas BBF serves. It was an honor to join families on a journey that few can understand! The role vision plays in the development of a child is so crucial. Making the adaptations, understanding the implications extends to all areas of development.
Once retired from BBF, I began a different journey-that of a board member. Knowing the import of these critical services drew me to involvement which would help sustain Blind Babies Foundation. The services have remained free to families and their blind and/or visually impaired child for over 64 years. The services are awesome.
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Blind Babies Foundation provides exemplary services to families whose children have a visual impairment. A child born with vision loss learns much differently than their sighted peers. BBF has been a leader in the field of early education, providing disability specific help to the families and their children. I am proud to be a part of this community!
Blind Babies Foundation is an incredible resource for so many families. I feel fortunate that my incredible cousin was able to reap the benefits of this organization. He excelled so much in his first few years of life thanks to the relentless support of his parents and Blind Babies Foundation. I was lucky to work at the California School of the Blind one summer, and many of these students had been part of Blind Babies Foundation family. It was evident that these children benefited so much from the resources, information and support provided by Blind Babies Foundation. They are a wonderful nonprofit!
BBF was instrumental in providing valuable services when my beloved nephew/godson was born. My family is so grateful that Blind Babies Foundation was there for my sister and her family; it is hard enough with a newborn, but they eased the way with support, suggestions, therapy referrals and so many resources for my nephew. They supported my nephew's needs AND his parents' as well. They provided a conduit to so many opportunities for my nephew; we are so very grateful BBF exists.
BBF was a Godsend to our family when we were faced with the challenge of how to care for a child with multiple disabilities. They not only helped us understand how to better love and care for our child but, through a 1-day conference, we understood the problems that were facing us as a couple and became closer because of it.
The Blind Babies Foundation has provided annual inservices to staff and parents throughout Northern California. The classes have been crucial in developing a greater understanding of how blindness and other related disabilities affect babies and young children. I truly appreciate this group!
Blind Babies Foundation was a God send for a family I love very much. I met them a few years after they welcomed their precious child in to the world and watched as they worked with BBF to ensure he had every opportunity available to him. I can't help but wonder how things might have turned out without BBF's support and assistance. BBF is an organization that means everything to the families they reach. it's not just a resource,it's life-saving, life-enhancing, a life-line!
Blind Babies Foundation has provided infants and toddlers with visual impairment with high quality and absolutely necessary support for decades. Educators in the field of visual impairment continue to look to this valuable organization for guidance and excellence in serving our youngest children with visual impairment. We couldn't do it without them. BBF rocks!
BBF has been an exceptional agency that has aided my blind twins and family since their birth 9 years ago. They have made it possible for many milestones and early intervention needs we struggled with in the twins early life. We are so grateful and appreciative of the services BBF have provided for us. The twins very much enjoy the recreational activities BBF provide for them such as Halloween Harvest Fest, Christmas Party, and especially the Easter Beeper Egg Hunt. BBF Program Director for the central valley Kristi Spaite goes above and beyond with her job duties. Thank you BBF!
My son has c.p. He is visually impaired and has severe developmental delays. We face challenges everyday. Blind babies foundation has been a lifeline for my family. From the beginning of this journey they have helped us in so many ways, from going to doctors appointments, to helping us get equipment, therapy, information and support services, too much to list. I don't know how we would be without the help they have given. We are stronger as a family and my sons life is better!
Infancy is a crucial time for all children but especially those with vision issues. The right start for these children and their families can make the difference between a child being ready for school, learning to read and even going to college. As a teacher of infants thru preschool students with vision impairments (VI), I find Blind Babies to be a crucial resource for parents and teachers of the youngest children w VI. I've used their vision condition fact sheets since studying vision impairment in graduate school. These are helpful to parents and the other professionals working with my students. Blind Babies works with some children before they come for school district services so I know first hand how well they educate parents and people such as myself.
We are an Infant and Children's Eyewear Dispensary in Burlingame, California that supports Blind Babies Foundation in many ways. We have always found them to be extremely hands on with the families they work with and extremely professional in every way. We cannot say enough about them.
When our son Nicholas was born in 1990 - BBF was immediately there to help us and assist us in our new life with our visually impaired baby. BBF served as the sole lifeline to us, as well as to our entire extended family. We would not be the parents or persons that we are today without BBF and their hands on staff always being there to guide, support and nudge us. Our son is now 24 and BBF is still an important part of our everyday lives. BBF rocks!
Blind Babies is unique in my long experience as a teacher of visually impaired children. It provides early intervention services to babies and their families, but it does so much more than that. Finding out their child has a significant visual impairment is very frightening to most parents, not only at the loss for their children, but because of the overwhelming sense of not having any idea how to help them. BBF specialists sensitively walk the parents through their child's first three years (and beyond, often), attending medical visits with them, teaching them highly specialized and highly important techniques for bonding with their children and providing access to the heavily visual world around them. In some instances BBF's specialists are even able to teach some children to see. Equally important is the role of BBF specialists in teaching other early interventionists about vision loss, how it impacts a child's development, and how to provide appropriate interventions while working within their specialties. Never have I known a group with more knowledge (widely respected and acknowledged by the children's eye care professionals and other organizations all over the country and the world), greater skill, and deep caring.
As a nonprofit professional, I am familiar with Blind Babies Foundation and have worked with them over the past 10 years. BBF is truly an amazing organization! They provide unique services (usually in the homes of their clients, but elsewhere as well), and their expertise in the field of visual impairment and blindness in (very) young people is unsurpassed. And the positive ripple effect of their work, beginning with our Babies, is clear. What an asset to the community!
I can't recommend them highly enough, and I appreciate the opportunity to do so here on this forum!
As a vision infant and toddler teacher I have found the Blind Babies Foundation a great resource when working with the children and their families. They have a packet of explanations of each common eye conditions and intervention ideas which I use often with my families. Even though I work across the Country I have contacted their Program and received great support and information, especially with Julie Bernas-Pierce. Kathleen Appleby
Blind Babies Foundation provides direction, support and encouragement to children and families in the most difficult situations. Our son was given only a few weeks to live, and we were told that he would not be able to see. The doctors were wrong on both counts! Our son confounded the doctors and lived for 10 and a half amazing months. Those precious months were made even special and meaningful because of the support we received from our BBF consultant, Rebecca. She helped us realize that our son COULD see, and that even though his vision was impaired, there was plenty we could do to help him reach his potential. In addition to her wisdom and guidance, she brought us ingenious gadgets and contraptions like a resonance board, a PVC-pipe play gym, a simple slinky and the trademark BBF red pom-pom - these were all things we never would have known to use or even been able to find without BBF. She helped us broaden our son's world and make his short life as rich as it possibly could be. We are forever grateful! Thank you BBF!
Blind Babies Foundation has a major impact on the lives of children with visual impairments and their families The well-trained and caring staff work closely with families, education agencies, and medical professionals to ensure that the young children are given every opportunity to develop their full potential.
Blind Babies Foundation fills a unique void in services to infants and toddlers who are blind -- many of whom have additional severe disabilities. Parents of these babies are often unprepared to care for youngsters with these challenges and need information, emotional support, and hope. Home visits from Blind Babies visual impairment specialists provide a good start to assure that the young child begins to learn about his/her world through their other senses, and links these new parents to a whole network of professionals who can help the family and the child. In addition, Blind Babies specialists often accompany parents to difficult medical appointment and help them ask the important questions and navigate strange new systems.
Blind Babies Foundations makes a profound difference in the life of blind infants and their families and gets them off to a good start. Nobody does this vital work any better than Blind Babies Foundation.
I have volunteered with Blind Babies Foundation for close to 10 years. I have the greatest respect and admiration for the Vision Impairment Specialists and all of the staff who are truly dedicated to the children they work with and their families. I have never met a more dedicated group of people and it's been an honor to work with them. When I've attended and volunteered at various events over the years, it's a joy to behold the happy faces and the normalcy that these events provide for these children.
I have worked with many nonprofit organizations in many roles, but none serve a greater need or make a greater impact in the lives of those served than Blind Babies Foundation.
Blind Babies Foundation works directly with families--at their own home--when a child is born with (or develops) a visual impairment. They take a unique approach that is grounded in the fields of pediatric ophthalmology, early childhood development, and orientation and mobility. They help families self-advocate and participate in creating plans for the family. They are highly respected and referred by some the top Pediatric specialists in the country and are leaders in the academic field, as this organization has established the first-of-its-kind data bank for research into childhood visual impairments.
Blind Babies Foundation has been around for 64 years, so the stories and positive outcomes are endless. One family-that have become ardent supporters and volunteers-were told that their baby would never be able to attend school or function "normally" in the world. A Blind Babies Foundation Specialist worked with the baby and family for many years, eventually preparing him to attend school. To make a long happy story short... 25 years later, this kid has graduated college, held several jobs, served on Presidential Commissions, and is a leader and advocate for people with disabilities.
Blind Babies Foundation has improved the life of many many families.