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A friend in Tennessee heard of a young girl in China who was blind and needed a home. Kim remembers, “My heart started to pound. It felt like this was my daughter, but I had no clue how to raise a blind child.”
Then another friend reached out. This friend had also heard about a young girl in China who was blind and needed a home. That’s when the Phillips family reached out to Bethel China. By fall of 2008, Hope was three years old, in the United States, and enrolled at Blind Children’s Learning Center. During her three years at BCLC, Hope blossomed socially and academically. Now in sixth grade, Hope dreams of a bright and successful future. If anyone can be a dentist, choir teacher, and spin instructor, it’s her. |
Isaiah’s mom couldn’t figure out why her newborn baby wasn’t looking at her. The answer was what no parent wants to hear—her child was blind.
“Right away, we looked into what resources were out there,” recalls mother Elizabeth. “I wanted Isaiah in an environment where he could learn and be accepted.” Physical therapy (PT) “was so important for Isaiah to gain confidence in his mobility and safety." -Vivian, PT Assistant An inclusive classroom with sighted peers dramatically accelerated his speech development. “Before Isaiah started at BCLC, he didn’t socialize at all. Now he’s not afraid of his surroundings.” -Elizabeth |
In Miracle, Lucie brailles the story of a young, visually impaired boy navigating the trials of bullying and the richness of friendship. If the story is even a little autobiographical, Lucie is experiencing youth like any other child — eager to share her talents, navigating social dynamics, and gaining a support system with peers her age.
Lucie receives Braille and low vision services through the Youth Outreach program of BCLC, which serves over 75 students with visual impairments in Orange County. “I instill in her that she can do anything,” says Carol, and Lucie is up to the challenge. She dreams of being an author, actress, and entrepreneur. Lucie will tap into her potential as an intelligent, ambitious young woman thanks to an education that isn’t limited by what she can see. Lucie’s success won’t be a miracle. She will earn it. |
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"When Katie was a baby, we knew something was different. She was so delayed. When the doctor shined a light in her eyes, there was no reaction.
She was diagnosed with Cortical Visual Impairment at five months, and Blind Children's Learning Center intervened right away. They presented objects in a way she could process. She lit up and became motivated. I cried with joy. She has grown so much since then. Without early intervention and everyone rallying around her, I'm certain Katie wouldn't be where she is now." - Grace, mother of Katie, age 4 |
"When we finally went for a tour of the Center, watched kids like Jack tear through the playground and have fun doing therapy, we enrolled Jack. His world opened up, and our lives changed forever.
He started attending classes when he was nearly three. He wasn't talking, eating solid foods, or socializing with other toddlers. Within three months, he said Mama, ate a banana and cried when it was time to leave to come home. Jack recently came back to the Center to begin mentoring the younger kids. We want Jack to always remember, that if not for the skills he learned at Blind Children's Learning Center, his life may have been dramatically different." - Jaimie, mother of Jack, age 16 |
Derek "Diggs" was born 16 weeks premature and blind due to Retinopathy of Prematurity. As soon as he was healthy, Blind Children's Learning Center became his home away from home.
Teachers introduced him to different textures and sound, which made him comfortable in environments that previously scared him. BCLC was the first place Diggs mastered with his mobility cane. By the time he graduated from the preschool, he could successfully track lines of Braille. His independence has soared since he received his foundation at BCLC. He is focused on vocational training and plays several instruments proficiently. He even visited the Center recently to Braille books for current students! |
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Danyelle was born blind and began receiving services from Blind Children's Learning Center at age 3. As a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Linguistics and Spanish, Danyelle has accomplished so much.
She has mentored younger students who are visually impaired, teaching them independent living skills, such as how to wash dishes, make orange juice, or fold their clothes. "I grew up at the Center, and I want to give back to what they poured into me," said Danyelle. She has grown to be a strong and confident young woman with a clear message: "My wish is that the sighted community would understand individuals with visual impairments and stop perceiving us with limited capabilities. We can accomplish so many things. Just give us the opportunities." |
Andrew has been blind since he was 2 months old. At age 4, there was one piece of playground equipment he feared – the slide. Andrew’s Orientation and Mobility (O & M) Specialist used his fear as a challenge. Andrew shared, “She wouldn’t give up and kept telling me I could go down the slide. She even held my hand the first time I went down. I did it.”
Andrew's spirit for independence has only grown since. Andrew has flown planes, participated in the Makapo outrigger paddling team, and competed in high school wrestling. Bridget, Andrew's mother, credits BCLC for giving Andrew a strong educational and developmental foundation that played a key role in his success. Today, Andrew continues to give back as a volunteer and mentor to children at BCLC, instilling within them the same sense of independence that guides his every move. |
Braille instruction and Orientation & Mobility training from first to twelfth grade gave Sako a sense of independence, despite being legally blind. Sako worked most closely with his Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Danette Davis. In addition to Braille instruction and tutoring, she integrated lessons with classroom activities so he never felt isolated. Sako’s self-advocacy grew with his educational interests. By middle school, he fully transitioned from special education to a typical classroom.
His mother, Armine, recalls, "Sako felt comfortable among adults, but Danette encouraged him to socialize with fellow students. She pushed him more than his teachers." Orientation & Mobility (O&M) allowed Sako to navigate with his cane and tap into his sense of exploration. When he rode the bus by himself for the first time, his mother described it as a "true sign of independence." |
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