Happy New Year! The resilience of a young child is inspiring! At the Lighthouse of Pinellas we work with blind and visually impaired individuals (children through adults) whose resilience inspires us to do something more. To help them thrive.
Maverick is a 2-year-old child who was diagnosed with Joubert Syndrome, a rare genetic condition characterized by abnormal brain development, possibly affects other organs of the body and vision loss. He was also diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a retinal eye disorder. Children with LCA may also have crossed eyes, rapid involuntary eye movements, farsightedness, and light sensitivity. His vision is severely limited but exact understanding of his vision loss cannot be determined due to his age.
Maverick began receiving Early Intervention services at the Lighthouse of Pinellas in August 2022 at the age of 14-months. Before receiving services, Maverick was at the developmental age of approximately a 10-month-old. He had very little verbal expressive language, unable to stand for more than 30 seconds or walk. Instructors focused on helping Maverick acquire skills to learn about the world around him by using his other senses. They also work with him to improve orientation and mobility skills so that he can safely navigate his environment.
In the 15 months that Maverick has been receiving weekly individualized vision services, he has made tremendous gains. Through weekly training, Maverick can now communicate his needs and wants verbally and through sign language. He crawls or walks to explore his environment and educational toys. Maverick is now willing to explore and touch a variety of textures. He enjoys textured picture books and braille in books. He is learning to use a pediatric belt cane to navigate his surroundings safely. Eventually he will be able to walk confidently and independently using the pediatric belt cane or white cane.
Help the Lighthouse of Pinellas make an even deeper impact for those who are in need help! Our organization is the only one if its kind offering services to the blind and visually impaired in our community. Your tax-deductible gift brings hope, inspiration, and resilience to children like Maverick and his parents. It also ensures that we can continue our mission of helping all individuals in our community have access to services that allow them to pursue their highest dreams and aspirations.
This year we have a unique opportunity to make your gift have greater impact. Through a matching gift, every gift made will be matched $1 to $1 up to $62,500. That means your gift is worth double the amount through the generosity of an anonymous donor. Help us reach our match goal!
Together, we can shine a light on vision loss.
Kimberly Church
President & CEO
If you’re 70 ½ or older, you can contribute to Lighthouse of Pinellas from your IRA. In order to qualify as a charitable contribution and avoid income tax, your distribution must be transferred directly from the IRA (Traditional or Roth IRA) to Lighthouse of Pinellas. Your IRA Plan Administrator can arrange this for you. We invite you to take advantage of your required distribution to make a meaningful impact for clients at Lighthouse of Pinellas – without incurring any income tax.