For Nystagmus Awareness Day 2023 we invited members of the nystagmus community to share their story to help people in the wider population to understand the condition.
Thank you to everyone who shared their story with us.
You can read all our nystagmus stories here
This is Mason’s story …
We first noticed Mason’s eye movement when he was around 8-10 weeks old. His eyes would jerk to the right. My elder brother also has quite severe nystagmus so instantly my gut instinct told me it was nystagmus, however I just never considered that my children would have it as I don’t have it myself, although my mum has very mild nystagmus. As Mason was born at 35 weeks and had some trauma surrounding his brain, we already had an extra eye and hearing test booked in. This meant we were fast tracked for an appointment which we were extremely grateful for! The Ophthalmologist clinically confirmed it – congenital jerk nystagmus.
The first year of his life left us in constant worry about how he’d struggle to meet milestones. Would he be a late walker? Would he be able to drive when he’s older? However, as time has gone by, he’s really shown us just how determined he is to not let his eyes stop him from doing everything he wants. He began to walk around 15 months and now at the age of 2 he doesn’t stop running! His confidence can sometimes be a bit knocked down when exploring new, big places with a lot to take in, but generally he is fine once shown around and how to access what’s around him.
We see a Visually Impaired teacher on a regular basis who will support him in nursery and school. She is just amazed at how able he is. His eyesight is incredible and he often spots things before I do! He does have a very mild prescription for glasses, but being the crazy active toddler he is, he won’t wear them and is more than happy to go without at his own choice.
He loves kicking a ball about, loves playing with his cars, loves being outdoors and loves spending time with family.
Personally, I don’t know what life with nystagmus is like, but I do know that with the right mindset and determination it can’t stop you from doing what you love. Everyday my little boy makes me so incredibly proud; his achievements motivate me to be the best I can too.
