Vladimir Elliott, affectionately nicknamed “Vladdy”, celebrates with his father, Frank Elliott, after putting his arms into the sleeves of his shirt by himself. Vladdy was born with SOX2 anophthalmia syndrome, a rare disorder that caused him to be born without eyeballs. Frank and his wife, Diane Elliott, adopted Vladdy four years ago from an orphanage in Serbia after hearing that none of the other kids would play with him.

Frank brushes Vladdy’s teeth in the morning before school. Although Vladdy is almost 8 years old, his disorder causes severe delays in the development of his motor skills, making him reliant on his father to get ready for school. Frank, who works from home, said that sometimes it is a struggle to get Vlad out the door, but he enjoys watching his progress every day.

Vladdy is buckled in by his bus driver on a special handicap accessible school bus. Since being brought to America, Vladdy has had the opportunity to go to a normal elementary school, something that was unavailable in Serbia. His genetic disorder affects about 1 in 300,000 individuals, usually with no history of the disorder in the family. When his biological parents found out that he would have special needs, they decided to give him up for adoption.

Vladdy’s special learning instructor, Tracey Lazorcik, helps Vladdy order lunch at school. Vladdy’s developmental delays make it hard for him to communicate and talk to other children, but the teachers at the elementary school have developed a yes or no system which allows him to make his own choices and even pick his lunch.

Vladdy laughs with his mother, Diane Elliott, after she returned home from work. Diane works at the local hospital as a pediatric nurse, which she says helps with taking care of Vladdy and her other children. She also survived a battle with eye cancer, but had to have one of her eyes removed while she was sick and takes a special interest in children with optical issues.

Vladdy laughs as he climbs down the stairs in the Elliott’s house with the help of his family. His disorder causes abnormal development in not only his ocular region but also other parts of his body. Because of this, his legs can bend in ways that most kids can’t, making not just walking, but also crawling, quite difficult. Diane said Vladdy likes to walk around the house by himself, but sometimes she sees him stumble and it scares her. “Sometimes I’m glad I only have one eye.” she said.

Vladdy receives a hug from his little sister, Nadine, after she apologized for accidentally stepping on his toes. Nadine was adopted with her now-brother, Manny (not shown), by the Elliotts after an earthquake struck her home county, Haiti.

Diane holds Vladdy as the family prays together in the living room of their home before bed. The Elliott’s are religious and make a point to pray as a family before they fall asleep each night.

Diane carries Vladdy out of his bedroom. Because he cannot see light, Vladdy often has trouble sleeping at normal hours, and can keep up his siblings who share his room when he is restless.