The lives of Tiago Martin and his mother Andrea Chedas were turned around due to CNIB’s support.
Andrea Chedas remembers very clearly what life was like before she was introduced to CNIB five years ago.Her son, Tiago Martin, now nine years old, was born with cone-rod dystrophy, an eye disorder that limits his vision to no more than a few feet in front of him.
"It was a tough time," says Ms. Chedas. "Tiago's doctors did a great job as doctors, but we needed something more. There was no emotional or community support."
It wasn't until Tiago was five that Ms. Chedas was referred by a friend to Dr. Catherine Chiarelli at the Vision Institute of Canada, who connected Ms. Chedas and Tiago to CNIB, an organization that helps Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life.
"It changed our lives and opened up a whole world of resources," adds Ms. Chedas. "Once Tiago's diagnosis was confirmed, CNIB was there for us."
Through CNIB, Tiago now has a rehabilitation specialist who visits him at home.
"She helps him understand his world; and helps me to understand it as well," says Ms. Chedas. "CNIB has also given us access to a wide range of other support staff and programs that have really helped Tiago grow. He has been able to see how other people with vision loss cope with the same challenges that he faces, and he has made friends with other children who have similar conditions. That's been a big help."
She says Tiago went from being an insecure and introverted child to a self-confident and determined young person who has come to terms with his situation.
"He has developed into what I would call a spirited child; very bright and very social. CNIB has gone a long way towards normalizing a situation that had been devastating for us," says Ms. Chedas.
But most important of all, she adds, is that CNIB has allowed Tiago to find his voice.
"He can now stand up for himself, and that's changed his life and mine," she says.
For more information, visit www.cnib.ca
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