Felix Johnston

We noticed Felix’s right eye turning inward around October of 2020. It wasn’t constant but definitely noticeable - we thought it might have been due to the stress of our family’s big move out of Brooklyn. In the Spring of 2021 it seemed to have gotten worse so we saw the first surgeon.

For a year he wore the cutest glasses and it seemed to help (some). We were told several times that in Felix’s case, surgery was not needed and that he would most likely never be a candidate based on the measurements this doctor read. Our minds were confused (because we never saw real progress) but our hearts were relieved each time he confirmed no surgery until December 2021 when his eye got “stuck”.

The doc gave Felix a new bifocal Rx as a treatment plan and it helped for about 3 weeks until his eye turned inward permanently while we were in NY. Since then he has been able to straighten it on demand for maybe a second but it’s too hard for him to keep it straight much longer. Sometimes I have enough time for a picture. We also noticed a change in his social behavior - our super outgoing Felix suddenly needed us to be with him when meeting new people - which is pretty heartbreaking knowing how incredibly social he’s always been with other kids.

Lots of convos later and a referral to a pediatric specialist at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham has landed us in the operating room on April 13th for both eyes(!). His left eye crosses inward when his right eye straightens and we need both eyes to be set optimally so that they can work together properly - especially at this early developmental stage. Apparently, his brain already knows that he can function fine with just one eye (which is why the right eye has turned inward). So the concern is suppression of either eye if they aren’t communicating with each other correctly, which could ultimately lead to loss of vision. We do not want that!!

We are a bit anxious because…surgery…but overall we feel confident with the new treatment plan, surgeon (Dr. Davidson), the hospital and are praying that this is as routine as everyone has told us it is! It will be outpatient so we can recover at home although we will be staying in Birmingham one night after surgery since we live 3 hours away.

Please help us pray for a successful surgery, quick recovery and full healing for our guy. While multiple surgeries is common with strabismus, we are praying that he will not have to undergo more after this one and that he will be healed ♥️

If you or any kids want to send a silly/encouraging video pre or post surgery, I know our slapstick guy would LOVE watching/listening to them (send to 334-477-1010). He’s in great spirits and loves to laugh at the most nonsensical things these days. His current favorite shows include octonauts, Gabby’s dollhouse, numberblocks and Pete the cat. His favorite color is “rainbow” and when asked which color in the rainbow he responds, “all of them”. His eyes light up when there’s a chance to have “SUGAR”. He counts to 100, and loves adding, started spelling words and reading some too (how did we get here so fast!). But to his papa’s delight, excels and enjoys being on the soccer pitch the most!

We are so thankful for your love and support for our favorite little guy and will keep everyone updated on this site ♥️

xxjpfc