Meet Mona & Omar: A Perkins Family Story

"This is the story of one child, one family and Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins has helped thousands of children and will help thousands more because of friends like you.  I thank you for supporting the school and would like to tell you about my experience, a mother like many others, whose child was born with a physical challenge."  

"Thirteen years ago, I was pregnant and living in Houston, Texas. I remember the due day, as a day full of hope, of dreams, of joy. But nothing can prepare a mother to the news that her first born is blind the sombre face of a doctor, the nurses unable to look you in the eye, the uncontrollable tears, and the bitterness - a whole world darker and sadder. I resolved myself to the fact that all this did not matter; that he is my little baby, my bundle of joy, and I love him - no matter what, I will always be there for him.

As the days passed, countless visits to doctors and specialists; hoping that maybe the others have missed something. Every visit brought its own disappointments and doubts. I was in a panic: Am I doing the right things? Who do I turn to for support? Will he learn how to talk and walk? How will he face life and build a future? Hundreds of questions, and no satisfactory answers.

As Omar, my son, grew up into a handsome boy, he went to school. To my deep disappointment, I found the Houston public school system woefully unprepared to handle his special needs. The attention he needed was missing and the tools inadequate. The easy thing to do was for me to “go with the flow” and accept that this is the best that my son can get. But this cannot be: I could not accept that my child will get lost in a system that is ill prepared to meet his needs. I resolved that my son will get the best possible chance to succeed in an unfair world.

Weeks of research and tens of phone calls led me to Perkins. I visited the school and saw how they cared for and educated their children. I saw children with different needs being cared for by specialists using state of the art equipment. The people at Perkin were gracious, supportive and professional. They genuinely cared for the children in their care. Perkins is the best and I resolved that my son will get the best. We moved from Houston to Watertown. My husband, whose business could not be relocated, stayed behind. He visits us every weekend. It was very challenging at the beginning as we started to adjust to this new lifestyle. This has been going for 9 years.

Month after a month, year after a year, Omar’s progress was noticeable on all fronts. He plays, smiles, laughs, sings and plays music something he did not do before. This has brought extreme happiness to our family. He is now more prepared to face life and provide for his basic needs. Perkins was instrumental in the development of Omar’s abilities. All this would not have been possible without the professional skills accumulated over years of experience with children with special needs and the latest tools to help our children learn and adapt to the world. Thank you to the staff of Perkins and the supporters of the school who help make all of this possible."

- Mona, Perkins Parent.