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Praise for Jillian’s Story

“Bravo! This is a great story that needs to be spread widely. For too many children, the first part of Jillian’s story is the only story that’s ever told, and these children end up achieving far less than they could in life, believing that they are not worthy of more. Jillian’s parents searched for help and found an answer to their prayers. Jillian benefited from the behavioral vision care given to her by Dr. Jim Horning and therapist Lindsey Hebert, and her life began to move in all the right directions. As a direct benefit of her parents’ steadfast dedication and the skills she learned in vision therapy, Jillian can achieve whatever she wants in life.”

—Paul Harris, OD, FCOVD, FACBO, FAAO
Southern School of Optometry
Memphis, TN

“Inspiring and beautifully told. Jillian’s Story is a testament to one mother’s determination to help her child. When the standard medical treatment for amblyopia (lazy eye) failed to cure her child’s visual deficits, Robin Benoit found optometric vision therapy, which rehabilitated her daughter’s vision and transformed her daughter’s life.”

—Susan R. Barry, PhD
Professor of biology and neuroscience, Mount Holyoke College
and author of Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist’s Journey into Seeing in Three Dimensions
South Hadley, MA

“I loved, loved, loved this book! When parents are faced with this diagnosis for their children, it will be a comfort to be able to relate to a family that has been through it before. The very next day after reading Jillian’s Story, I evaluated a little girl who had amblyopia. She will pretty much walk in Jillian’s footsteps and I’m thrilled to be able to share Jillian’s journey with her family.”

—Emily Bussey, OD
Optometrist
Bartlesville, OK

“Robin has written a fascinating book that should be required reading for any parent who is struggling with the challenges of a child who is a victim of a medical system that is sometimes blind. Read it and be inspired that there is always hope!”

—Todd Huston
Amputee, world-record mountain climber, and author of More than Mountains
Tulsa, OK

“Robin Benoit’s book encapsulates the journey her family went through to find answers and ultimately overcome Jillian’s vision problems. This heartfelt story is an inspiration to anyone who has faced a challenge and is a great example of why no one should ever stop looking for solutions to whatever problems they face. Jillian’s Story is a reminder to us all that sometimes we have to be brave, look outside the box for solutions, and never take no for an answer.”

—Allison Maslan, HHP, CCH
Best-selling author of Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality
San Diego, CA

“The door swung open that first day of school, and in walked a beaming young lady eager to begin her career as a fourth grader. Although we had never met, Jillian’s sincerity and confident greeting let me know—this kid is something spectacular!”

—Katherine Ciriello Clark,
4th Grade Teacher, PVPV/Rawlings Elementary School
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

“Jillian’s Story is told with skill and passion by a tenacious mom who would not quit her search to help her young daughter overcome a tough challenge. After reading the book, I can’t help but worry that there are other kids, much like Jillian, who may never get the help they need. I expect that Jillian’s Story will bring relief and joy to many parents struggling to help their own kids with challenges similar to Jillian’s.”

—Bert Williams
Editorial Director, Christian Record Services for the Blind
Lincoln, NE

“Robin Benoit writes about the most powerful emotion in the world—love. Love of family, love of God, and an unwavering belief that, like the tiniest mustard seed, no one is too young or too small to overcome the largest of obstacles. Jillian’s Story is a testament to the perseverance of one devoted family that believed in miracles.”

—Don Gaddo
Author
Gainesville, FL

“A beautifully written, thought-provoking book about a delightful, brave young girl who had to overcome a serious medical problem. The tender care and support of her parents, the vision therapy directed by her doctor, and Jillian’s positive strength and willpower to get better are truly inspirational. This is a must-read.”

—G.T. Harrell
Writer and author
Jacksonville, FL

“Jillian’s Story not only provides answers to parents but also shows the determination and perseverance needed to maintain hope. Through their dedication, Jillian’s parents prove that knowledge and answers are out there if people have the endurance to find them—a true and beautiful message of faith, hope, and love.”

—Carol Dean Schreiner
Author of Laugh for the Health of It!
Norman, OK

“I had heard a little bit of Jillian’s story over the years from her grandmother June, but it wasn’t until June showed me a few pages of Robin’s book that I began to understand the full impact of Jillian’s ordeal and how lucky she was to have a mother who would not give up until she found answers. Robin tells a story as only a mother can. You feel you are right there with Robin as her eyes, as well as Jillian’s, are opened. After reading Jillian’s Story, it is impossible not to think of the many children out there with vision problems who are being treated for behavioral or learning issues that they simply don’t have. Having worked with educators and child care providers for many years, I believe this book should be required reading for parents and everyone who works with children. It could make a dramatic difference in the life of a child.”

—Margretta Bartlett
Norman, OK

Preface

When I suddenly discovered that Jillian, at the age of five, was legally blind in one eye, I asked myself, “What kind of mother are you that you didn’t know?”

The truth is that I was like many caring and loving parents who have found themselves in the same situation. Amblyopia is not easy for anyone but a professional to detect—especially if the child does not have a lazy or wandering eye. Jillian’s big blue eyes looked completely normal to me.

Throughout her six-year struggle with vision challenges, I repeatedly searched for books to help me better understand her situation. As much as I appreciated the clinical findings of professionals, what I really wanted were personal accounts and stories of parents who had faced similar challenges. I could find nothing.

When we finally, after years of searching, found an alternative treatment for Jillian’s condition using vision therapy, I again looked for books written by parents whose children were using such treatments. Dr. Horning’s absolute conviction that he could help my daughter was reassuring on one level, but I wondered how vision therapy had worked for other families. Would they recommend it? Was there a glimmer of hope that this would work for my child? Again, I found very little to read.

I decided to write the story I wish I could have found. May it be a message of hope, inspiration, and encouragement for others.

Acknowledgments

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my family, especially my husband, Brian, and my eldest daughter, Annelise. Jillian has the very best dad and sister in the world! You were a huge and instrumental part of not only Jillian’s journey, but also the development of this book.

Thank you to Dr. James Horning, Lindsey Hebert, Katherine Clark, and all of Jillian’s teachers for making a world of difference in the life of my child.

Thank you to my friends, who graciously offered their profes-sional opinions and guidance. My thanks to Milli Brown, Cynthia Stillar, and everyone at Brown Books Publishing Group, who embraced Jillian’s story and made it come to life.

And, most of all, to Jillian, for letting me share her story. Little one, you are my hero!

It all started with the letter P. It was that one special day in preschool when the focus was on the letter P. They had planned to wear pajamas, paint pictures in pink and purple, eat popcorn and pretzels, and pretend to be pirates. Perfect!

I had taken Jillian to school and about two hours later had received a call from her teacher. She asked if I could come by a little earlier than the scheduled ending class time to talk about Jillian. Oh great, I thought. I wondered what she had done to get into trouble.

When I met with the teacher, she told me that the class had been pretending to be pirates, and when she put a patch on Jillian’s eye, she freaked out.

“What do you mean by ‘freaked out’?” I asked. She went on to say that when she put the pirate patch on Jillian’s eye, she had thrown her hands out in front of her as if trying to reach out for something and then fell to the floor screaming for help. The teacher said she immediately took off the patch, comforted Jillian, and told her she didn’t have to wear it.

She said she’d never seen another child do such a thing but went on to remind me that it wasn’t the first time Jillian had done something a little strange. Once on the playground, a fellow playmate had told Jillian that a frog was on her back. She got so frantic trying to find it that the teachers had to take off her sweater and show her that it was a joke and that there was nothing there.

That was the very unpleasant day when the preschool director asked me, in front of my mother who was visiting from out of town, if I thought Jillian might have psychological problems. I hated her for putting that worry in my mind.

“I don’t remember all that much about preschool—mostly holidays and birthday parties—but I remember getting super upset about having a frog on me. I mean, shouldn’t people be telling you the truth when they say things? I just thought I didn’t see the frog. There were lots of things, especially little things, I didn’t see when other people pointed at them.”

I had noticed a few minor things about Jillian that could be attributed to developmental delays. At school she had cut out Christmas stars and Valentine’s hearts that looked like a mangled mess. She colored and painted pictures that only a mother would hang on the refrigerator with pride. She often brought home shapes she had drawn or cut out that held very little resemblance to the triangle, square, or circle they were supposed to be.

At first, I just thought she was bad at art and shrugged it off. But the incident with the pirate patch worried me, and I mentioned it to her pediatrician. He said we could have a specialist take a look at Jillian.

A few days later, a big packet came in the mail from the specialist, asking me to fill out all the paperwork inside and telling me that they would schedule an appointment if it were deemed necessary. The first question on the form asked if the child’s parents were or could be biologically related. What?! Are you kidding me? I thought. It went on to ask about the pregnancy and birth. I knew everything was normal, with her arriving only slightly early at thirty-eight weeks. Was she a healthy baby? Yes!