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[Guest guest]

Hello,

I actually found this board a couple years ago, but there was very

little action. The other day I decided to look again and I couldn't

believe it :-)

My husband and my 3 yr old daughter have bleph. My husband was the

first in his family to have it and 20 some years ago, when he had the

sling surgery, he was told it was a fluke condition. We did not know

it was genetic until our daughter was born with it. has been

seeing a pediatric opthamologist since she was born and her sight is

fine, so I think any surgery will be off a couple years.

For now my questions aren't surgery related. A couple weeks ago, we

were at a storytime in a local library and there were three girls

sitting in front of us. The leader was reading a book and asking

questions, which my daughter was answering along with many of the

other children. The three girls kept turning around and looking at

and then she turned to me and asked why they kept staring at

her. I was caught a bit off guard and said it was probably because she

knew all of the answers, but I'm pretty sure it was because of her

eyes. I knew this day would come, but I thought it wouldn't be until

she was in school, and now I'm finding myself unprepared and in a rush

to become prepared. So, I'm trying to find a way to start talking with

her about it. Basically, I want to give her ways to respond to the

looks (and the teasing that will surely come her way) and I want her

to know, really know, that she is a beautiful girl and nothing anyone

says will ever change that.

I thought for now, since she's only three, I could start by talking

about how people look different - different color hair, different

color skin, different eye shape, etc. Sure, she knows this already,

but we've never really talked about it past her comments about how

that little girl has the same hair or that little girl doesn't.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and I look forward to

corresponding with all of you.

Thanks, Joy