Why Vote for Tommy?

Vote For Thomas Marshall Does It All!

So yesterday I told you our big news. We are a finalist! Go vote and explore some new blogs.

But maybe you are new to this site and you want to know why you should vote for Thomas Marshall Does It All? Just who is this Tommy?

Hi, I'm Tom!

Who is Tommy?
Tommy is three-years-old and started preschool this year at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. Yes, Tom is blind and he has been since birth.

He has bilateral (both eyes) Persistent Fetal Vasculature Syndrome, glaucoma, and microphthalmia in his left eye. In school, Thomas is learning all the usual preschool stuff along with blindness skills that will help him succeed in a sighted world: pre-Braille/Braille skills and training to use a long white cane.

Medically, Tom a complex guy. He also has hypertonicity, microcephaly, and an under-developed corpus callosum. When Tommy was born they didn't know what all these diagnoses meant. So far it all adds up to a unique and wonderful child that I am lucky to call mine - Thomas Marshall. Thomas is busy being a kid, and while his journey may look different, it's no less exciting.

Tech Savvy
Yeah, you could say that. Tom got an iPad for his second birthday and we use it every day. The iPad is accessible for blind people. You don't need to buy any special programs - Accessiblity Is Built In! That is rare.

Once you know someone with a disability you realize how many barriers there are in everyday life. Technology is one area where we can meet the challenge of accessibility head on.

Did you know that Amazon's Kindle is not acessible to people who are blind? Some schools are starting to use Kindles and that is a problem. According to Junior Blind of America, one in every 20 children have vision problems. That's a lot of children.

Preschool was too exciting for him that day. He fell asleep reading.

I used to think that all Deaf people learned sign language and all blind people learned to read Braille. That is not the case. Only 9% of children who are blind are Braille readers. You can read more facts about blindness here.

Tom exploring a Braille book.

One thing is for certain. Braille literacy is tied to employability. Over seventy percent of blind Americans are unemployed, but among the thirty percent who are employed, over eighty percent are Braille readers. Remember, Braille is a tactile form of english. It is not another language.

That's another good reason to vote for this blog. To raise awarenenss!

Why Did You Start This Blog?
Having a blind child changed my life and opened my eyes to the challenges those with disabilites face every day. Tom had his first surgery when he was two-weeks-old. Our first year involved five vitrectomy (eye) surgeries and a gastronomy (g-tube) placement. (Yes, Tom is a tubie! He is currently half oral fed and half tube fed.) I had no one to talk to about: feeding tubes, post-surgery care, Early Intervention, therapy, specialist appointment, genetic testing... 
When I looked online I only found dry, medical information. I couldn't find any blogs or websites about a family like mine so I started one. I was finding all kinds of good resources as Tommy grew and I wanted to share that with other families. Our experience gave us a special kind of knowledge. Why not share it to help others?

What is Tom like?
He is fun and active. This kid does not slow down. Ok, if you want to read him "Let's Dance Little Pookie," he might slow down for a minute. Otherwise he likes to be outside exploring, maybe playing on his slide, or riding his tricycle.

Tom at the top of the slide.

He loves water! Splashing is what he does best.

Tom likes to rock! He listens to music all the time, and he loves to make music and dance. Jazz, children's music and Motown are some of his favorites. He did a session of Music Together classes in the Fall and he loved it. We are going to take another Music Together class this summer.

Guitar lessons start early in this house.

That is a quick introduction to Tommy. Please feel free to ask a question or leave a comment. Now go vote for Tommy!