This is the amazing moment a partially blind toddler gazes at her family for the first time after she received special eyeglasses.
One-year-old Caydan Ziemba, has achromatopsia, a rare condition that makes it very hard to see, with her eyes naturally unable to distinguish colors and shades.
But now, thanks to special, red-tinted glasses, which help fix the problem, Caydan can see in much more detail, being able to clearly recognize her family for the first time.
Mum, Michelle Ziemba, 31, from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, US, said: ‘It was like a really exciting moment for us and for her because we were all there together, as a family.
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‘It feels more like she’s experiencing a normal childhood right now and that makes us happy every day.’
When Caydan was just three months old, mum and dad noticed that there was something wrong with her vision, due to the lack of reaction to objects or people, just mere inches away.
After working with their paediatrician, Michelle and dad, Eric Ziemba, 32, decided to take Caydan to see an ophthalmologist, an eye specialist, at Boston’s Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, US, who suspected that there may be an issue with her retinas.
Then, once the toddler began going to nursery, she found it difficult to be comfortable as Michelle believed that she could not see the surrounding environment.
This September, Caydan underwent an electroretinogram (ERG) test which uses flashes of light to test the activity in the retina, which determined that there was no function in any of the ‘cones’, which is responsible for color vision, in her eyes.
From the ERG test, Caydan was diagnosed with Nystagmus, a condition that causes repetitive and involuntary movement in the eyes which can cause blurry vision.
Caydan is color blind, meaning she can only see white and gray shades and her eyes are very sensitive to light, which all led to the rare diagnosis of achromatopsia.
Mum and dad then worked with the hospital and their local optician, to fit some red-tinted lenses which help filter out some of the light and create a more defined color contrast in everything that she sees.
Now, with the red corrective lenses, Caydan is able to be more comfortable with her surroundings and those around her.
For mum, Michelle, teacher, the difference was immediately noticeable, and she says that Caydan is much happier.
She said: ‘It was really emotional for us.
‘For her to get her glasses, be so excited and happy and have a new confidence about her, she is a confident little girl in general, but for her to just now feel just so comfortable in all of her environments, makes it a little bit easier for us.
When she wears her glasses, she can now see who comes in the door right away, which she couldn't do before.
At around one year old, she started eating on her own, which was hard because of her color blindness. Now with the glasses, she can see the food better.
Her vision hasn't stopped her from learning, but it has made it a bit harder for her to use utensils and her coordination, balance, and motor skills.
Despite her diagnosis, she has been doing really well with her learning and intelligence, which has been exciting for us to see.
Dad, Eric, who is also a teacher, is grateful for the supportive comments and hopes that Caydan will continue to improve.
We have learned a lot from people who have experience with similar conditions, who have given us tips through platforms like TikTok.
We still want her to feel more comfortable outside because we love the outdoors. It's something we're working on.
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