Ariel and Javier Yepiz are 7 ½ year old twins. Born premature - a difficult childbirth during which their mother died - Ariel is blind and Javier is visually impaired and considered legally blind.

Since they were two years old, their father, Jesus Ariel Yepiz Ruiz and their older sister, Mariela Yepiz Cota, 14, have been faithfully bringing the boys to the St. Andrew's Children's Clinic every month.

There is no way to know for certain why one child is blind and the other child is visually impaired, but one theory is they may have been exposed to different levels of oxygen.

“Too much oxygen affects the development of the eyes,” said Lynne Albright, R.N., the volunteer coordinator of Vision Services at the clinic for the past 11 years. “It can damage the retina and blood vessels.”

One thing for certain is that at St. Andrews Clinic, the boys were able to find help they need, which was not available to them in Mexico.

Lynne remembers the day that Javier received his glasses.

“He would not part with them,” she said.

It was the same for Ariel when he received his cane.

Now, Ariel is learning on the Braille machine. His sister, Mariela, only recently learned Braille and works patiently with Ariel. Her love and determination to help her younger brother is inspiring.

She says that when she returns to Nogales, she would like to start a vision group in Mexico to teach others Braille.



Return to the St. Andrew's Clinic index page