“Little Medical Miracle”

Written by Natalie, mother to VIPS child Gatlin

Meet Gatlin, our little Medical Miracle. At just 2 years old, Gatlin faces immense challenges, including Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and Severe Vision Impairment. Despite his non-mobile and non-verbal state, he finds joy in life. After a healthy pregnancy, his birth required emergency surgery, leading to a roller-coaster of diagnoses like severe brain damage and multiple developmental delays. Living in a rural community, our family— me, his dad, big brother Decklyn (8), big sister Izalyn (5), two dogs, and a flock of chickens—embraced Gatlin’s needs and found VIPS immediately.Introduced to VIPS through the First Steps program, we focused on Gatlin’s visual challenges. Terms like “legally blind” were hard to accept, but Ms. Paige, our VIPS teacher, visits monthly, teaching us how to enhance Gatlin’s vision and accommodate his needs. Her enthusiasm and techniques make vision intervention fun for the whole family.

Our life is different from what we envisioned, but there’s no pity here. We’re just trying to live our lives to the fullest in whatever time we’re given, raise good humans, and keep things as simple as possible. To those just starting their journey, don’t lose hope! Your child is more than their diagnosis; vision impairment is only part of who they are. Gatlin is proof that “never” often only means “not yet”. As the parent of a child with complex needs, we were told he would never smile, laugh, or socially engage in any way…the biggest lesson has been meeting him where he is, especially with his vision. I’d give anything to know what those eyes see… but VIPS is helping us expand that world, whatever it may be. We are so thankful for this program and VIPS as an organization!

Terms like “legally blind” were hard to accept, but Ms. Paige, our VIPS teacher, visits monthly, teaching us how to enhance Gatlin’s vision and accommodate his needs. Her enthusiasm and techniques make vision intervention fun for the whole family.