Dimitri celebrated this major milestone with a smile
Think of the process of introducing a child to solid foods. The care and attention put into planning meals and the comfort felt when a child tries something new or healthy. Now imagine going through that process with a visually impaired child. Things like texture and taste are amplified even more for our students and can cause aversions to new or even solid foods for years.
This was the case for Dimitri. He did not like eating solid foods, especially when in the school setting. This led to days of attempts trying to motivate young Dimitri to try something new, rather than a liquid calorie replacement. Days became weeks, weeks became months and months became years. Every day Dimitri came through FBC’s doors, our teachers, para-educators and therapists had a new plan to crack Dimitri’s resistance.
Eventually, thanks to the persistence of FBC’s staff and Dimitri’s family, we reached the milestone of eating solid foods! Dimitri, at age ten for the first time ever ate a new meal at the Foundation for Blind Children. Dimitri in this video can be seen casually eating after years of effort and persistence. He is seen showing awareness, exploration and confidence while the lights of the camera are on him.
It is because of the support of donors, volunteers, staff and families that we create an environment to cultivate independence in every student.
