I’m A Blind Single Mom Raising My Autistic Son Alone | MY EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY

Описание: SUBSCRIBE to Truly: http://bit.ly/Oc61Hj

SINGLE mom Janie has raised her five-year-old son Ali all by herself without ever seeing his face. She first noticed she was losing her sight in her twenties, as Janie told Truly: "One day I was driving and I was like, 'Everything just looks so blurry to me'." After being referred to specialists by her doctor, she was soon diagnosed with keratoconus - a rare eye condition that now means she can only see colour and "cannot see shapes or details." By the time Janie learned she was pregnant she had adapted to life without her sight, but there were challenges ahead. When Ali was "about a year and a half" Janie noticed behaviours that concerned her: "When he got angry he would bang his head on the floor." It was not long before she received confirmation of Ali's diagnosis: autism and severe ADHD. The news rocked Janie at the time, as she began to question herself: "I was crying because I'm like, 'I'm losing my sight and now I have to deal with a child that I know needs way more than I could offer'." But Janie quickly set aside her fears and asked herself one simple question: "What do I need to do?" She developed innovative ways of communicating with her son through listening and touch and has raised a happy, healthy five-year-old who is now thriving thanks to a homeschooling program that enables him to learn through play. Janie has even self-published a book for children to learn braille, after teaching Ali to read this way in case he inherits his mom's condition later in life. But it has not all been smooth sailing. Janie has been met with "a lot of stares" when out in public, has been accused of "faking" her condition and has received comments online judging her ability to parent Ali due to her condition. But there is one event that has stayed with Janie more than any other - when someone "called the police" on her, wrongfully assuming that she was beating Ali in public. This was, of course, untrue - Janie was simply taking her son to a doctor's appointment, using her cane to guide her. But despite all the negativity she has faced from ignorant strangers, Janie is more determined than ever to push forward with positivity and enjoy every moment with Ali: "I walk by faith and not by sight - I don't know what's coming up next, but I refuse to live in fear. I just can't wait to see what else is coming for us."

Follow Janie and Ali:
  / ali_n_momma2020  
  / ladii.ruby  
  / janie-desir-540a9b238  

Learn more about Janie's book:
  / teachingyour.babyinbraille  
  / teaching_your_baby_in_braille  
   / @teaching_your_baby_in_braille  
https://www.tybibraille.com

With thanks to:
  / capturedmoments.saramarie  
  / martinpublishingstudio  

Credits:
Videographer: Francisco J. Hidalgo
Series Producer: Kim Nguyen
Producer: Tom Buckman
Casting Producer: Perrin Cimener
Editor: Helen McKee

00:00 - Introduction
00:27 - Meet Janie & Ali
01:18 - Janie's Vision Loss
02:19 - Parenting An Autistic Child
06:00 - Homeschooling & Communication
07:37 - Judgement
08:32 - The Police Incident
09:28 - Janie's Positivity

Get up to 73% off and 3 months for free when you sign up to NordVPN here: https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id...

If you have an amazing story and want to appear on the show, please email [email protected] and the team will be in touch!

For licensing and archive requests, please email the licensing team: [email protected]

Click below to follow your favourite Truly shows on social media!

TikTok:
Truly -   / truly_show  
Transformed -   / transformedshow  
Love Don’t Judge -   / lovedontjudgeshow  

Snapchat:
Born Different - https://bit.ly/3XluKiQ
Hooked On The Look - https://bit.ly/3Xi0UM6
My Extraordinary Family - https://bit.ly/3XkEDNJ
Love Don’t Judge - https://bit.ly/3Z05bFe
Dating Different - https://bit.ly/3XkRbEU
Transformed - https://bit.ly/45bDs3R

Facebook:
Born Different -   / borndifferentshow  
Hooked On The Look -   / hookedonthelook  
My Extraordinary Family -   / myextraordinaryfamilyshow  
Love Don’t Judge -   / lovedontjudgeshow  
Truly -   / trulyshow  

Instagram:
Truly -   / trulyshow  
Born Different -   / borndifferentshow  
Hooked On The Look -   / hookedonthelookshow  
Love Don't Judge -   / lovedontjudgeshow  

WhatsApp:
Truly - https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7r...
Born Different - https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7L...
Love Don't Judge - https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va6n...
My Extraordinary Family - https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7K...