Sometimes it just looks a little different: Our family’s journey of raising a blind child

Becoming a Family

Our family story starts a little differently than some. My husband, Ryan, and I chose to grow our family through foster care adoption. Enter Trenton and Titus—two brothers with endless energy and even bigger hearts.

Titus was three years old at the time and had lost his sight a year and a half earlier after a stroke. He is completely blind with no light perception, but that never stopped him from exploring the world—or getting into all sorts of toddler trouble.

Before Titus, we had never met anyone who was blind, so this was all new territory for us. We read everything we could, connected with local resources, and dove headfirst into parenting two young boys. Overnight, we became a family of four.

Parenting in general was an adjustment. Going from no children to two energetic boys, ages three and five, changed our lives instantly. Like any new parents, we were learning as we went. Titus’ blindness added another layer to our learning curve. We quickly realized that many of the things sighted children simply picked up on by watching had to be experienced in a different way.

 

Learning to “See” the World

One of our first parenting challenges came during bath time. We had been warned that bath time might be difficult, but nothing prepared us for the screams that erupted the moment we placed him in the tub. We bathed him as quickly as we could, knowing we needed to try a different approach the next time.

As I reflected on what had happened, it suddenly clicked. To us, it was just a bathtub. But to Titus, who couldn’t see what he was being placed into, it must have been terrifying. For all he knew, it could have been enormous or never-ending. That was one of our first big parenting “aha” moments. We needed to slow down and give him the opportunity to “see” things with his hands before expecting him to experience them.

The next time, before a single drop of water was turned on, I talked him through what we were going to do and reassured him that he could explore first. Together we felt the edges of the tub, the faucet, the drain, and even the bath toys. What had once been scary slowly became familiar. Within just a few weeks, Titus wasn’t simply tolerating bath time—he loved it.

Looking back, we realized this lesson extended far beyond the bathtub. Taking a few extra minutes to let Titus explore something new gave him confidence instead of fear. It was a simple change for us, but it made a world of difference for him.

 

Finding his Confidence

As we settled into parenthood, we found that it was easy to find activities for Trenton, as there are endless possibilities for sighted children, but we really wanted Titus to have the same opportunity to discover something he loved. From the beginning, Titus was drawn to music. He was always singing, and stomping his feet to the beat, so I called a local rock school and asked if they would be willing to teach a blind four-year-old. Without hesitation, they said, “Absolutely. We’ll figure it out.” Those words meant more than they probably realized.

Learning music wasn’t the challenge. Performing it in front of an audience was.

Like many children, getting on stage for the first time takes courage. And for Titus, walking into an auditorium with loud music and people cheering was terrifying without visual context. Getting him on stage wasn’t something we could rush. Just like we had learned with bath time, we broke it down into small, manageable steps. First, we got into the building. Then we found our seats. Next came backstage, then a little farther backstage, until eventually it was time to walk onto the stage.

Watching Titus conquer those fears was incredible. At just four years old, he trusted us enough to take those next few steps, even when they felt scary. That experience taught us that courage doesn’t always look like taking giant leaps. Sometimes it’s simply taking one small step after another.

Not long after, Titus discovered the drums, and everything clicked. By his next concert, he was ready. Today, he continues to play and perform, and music has become one of his greatest passions. He has an incredible ear for music, and it has become a place where he can express himself and an outlet for him when he begins to feel anxious.

 

Sometimes it Just Looks a Little Different

One phrase that has become significant in our family: Titus can do anything—sometimes it just looks a little different. That mindset has shaped so many of the decisions we’ve made as parents, especially when it came to helping him discover the things he loves.

Like a lot of boys his age, Titus loves baseball. His interest first grew as he watched his big brother play T-ball. At first, though, sitting through a baseball game wasn’t exactly exciting for a little boy with endless energy. Ballpark food certainly helped, but what truly brought the game to life was Ryan’s play-by-play. As the pitcher started to throw, Ryan would say, “Ready… pitch!” and as soon as Titus heard the crack of the bat, he would swing an imaginary bat right along with the players.

Little by little, the game began to make sense. Before long, Titus was sitting through entire games and could tell you who was coming up to bat before it even appeared on the scoreboard. Walk-up songs tell a story if you listen closely, and for Titus, they combine two of his greatest loves – music and baseball.

For blind athletes, there is Beep Baseball, but the closest team to us is four hours away. Thankfully, we found a local adaptive baseball program that welcomed Titus with open arms. Designed for athletes with mobility challenges, Titus spent his first few games sitting in a wheelchair and hitting off a tee while Ryan pushed him from base to base. Titus didn’t care that it looked different. He was part of a team and playing the game he loved.

As his confidence grew, so did his independence. The team was more than willing to let Titus try playing on his feet. After hitting the ball, Ryan would clap and blow a whistle to guide him toward first base and serve as his sighted guide around the bases. We’ve continued making small adaptations each season, allowing Titus to do more on his own.

That’s become one of our biggest parenting lessons. The goal isn’t to make Titus do things exactly like everyone else. The goal is to remove unnecessary barriers so he can participate, belong, and experience the same joy as every other child. Titus can do anything—sometimes it just looks a little different.

 

What We’ve Learned

Looking back, one thing stands out more than anything else. We didn’t have all the answers when we became parents, and we certainly didn’t have all the answers about raising a blind child. We learned through trial and error, plenty of mistakes, and celebrating every small victory along the way. Our family has learned that blindness doesn’t limit what a child can achieve. Often, the answer wasn’t changing Titus—it was changing how we approached a situation. Sometimes it simply requires a little creativity, a lot of patience, and a willingness to try something a different way.

 

Why I Started Amazingly Blind

As our family learned and grew, I found myself wanting to share more of our journey. That’s how Amazingly Blind began. I wanted to create the kind of resource I wished I had when we first became parents, a place where families could find encouragement, practical ideas, and honest stories about raising a blind child.

Over time, my “why” has grown. While I love connecting with other parents of blind and visually impaired children, I also realized there was another audience I wanted to reach. Before Titus, we had never met anyone who was blind. Looking back, I realize many people simply haven’t had that opportunity. If blindness is unfamiliar, it’s easy to make assumptions about what someone can or cannot do.

One thing we hear all the time is, “I can’t believe he can do that!” Whether Titus is reading Braille, playing baseball, performing on stage, or simply doing everyday things independently, people are often surprised. Those moments have reminded me that many people still picture blindness as something limiting or sad.

That’s one of the reasons we’ve started sharing more videos and reels. It’s one thing to tell someone that a blind child can play baseball, read Braille, or navigate the world independently. It’s another thing to show them. We hope those everyday moments help people see blindness a little differently, not as something that defines a person’s potential, but simply as one part of who they are.

If our family’s story helps another parent feel hopeful or helps someone see blind and visually impaired individuals as capable, confident, and independent, then sharing our journey has been worth it.

You can follow more of our family’s journey at AmazinglyBlind.com, where I share stories about blindness, parenting, independence, adaptive sports, Braille, and the everyday moments that remind us blindness is just one small part of who Titus is. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram, and soon to be YouTube, where I love connecting with other families and sharing our adventures.

If you would like to follow this wonderful family for more updates see the links below:

Webpage- AmazinglyBlind.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564616104894

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amazinglyblind/?hl=en