These three cuties are the Crawford kids!

Cody, Dean and baby Sachiko are the the Crawford children. Cody just turned 4 years in December and Dean is 2 1/2 years. Sachiko is almost 6 months old.

They were all born with an extra pinkie finger and Cody also had an extra baby toe. They were otherwise born healthy with no complications after birth.

There was some early questions about Cody's kidneys when I was about 8 months pregnant with him. The kidneys appeared to be enlarged during a routine ultrasound; however, this turned out to remedy itself after he was approximately 1 year, and there has been no problems since that time.

Sachiko has had some kidney issues we have had to deal with lately as well.

The kids are all affected differently. Cody is very bright and talkative and attends a mainstream preschool. He has some delays, but is doing very well in school with the help of his teachers and speech therapy.

Dean attends a special center for children with developmental delays. His delays are much more significant. Dean does not speak yet, but we> know he is just fooling us all. We work with him intensively in all areas like using utensils, fine motor, gross motor, speech etc.

Both the boys have been diagnosed with R/P; however, Cody has very good central vision while Dean is severely near sighted and has glasses which he refuses to wear. They both do suffer with night blindness.

It is still to soon to tell about Sachiko, and how she has been affected. So far she is doing very well developmentally.

Cody loves to play any kind of sport that involves a ball and loves cars and trucks. Dean loves to swing, swing swing!! You can never get him off the swings. He is beginning to become interested in playing with toys and balls. He also loves Barney videos!!

Sachiko is busy teething and growing and sleeping. They are all the most loving, cuddlely kids you have ever met. Especially Dean, who loves to bury his head in your lap and loves to be hugged and kissed.

I use to be concerned with the issue of the mental retardation aspects of LMBBS, but lately it truly seems not to matter anymore. It takes awhile to come to terms with some things and we are still just getting our feet wet.

The boys were actually diagnosed only February of 1997, and alot happened in that year, finding the right doctors, schools etc, oh yeah and I had another baby!! So I think we are getting to the point where we are just now starting to take a breath and realizing that all is surely not doom and gloom.

It is so weird how they look alike!! I remember when I first opened the web-site and saw all the children. My sister and I both proclaimed at the same time,
"THEY LOOK JUST LIKE DEAN AND CODY!!"
It was like seeing their long lost brothers and sisters. I jokingly call Dean and Cody my little moon pies! They are my Angels here on earth...

We have found the most wonderful Doctor in Santa monica, California. His name is Dr. Takashita and he is an Optometrist. He actually has several patients with Bardet Biedl. He is located at the Center for the Partially Sighted.

I can not say enough good things about this doctor. He is the most caring and informative doctor I have met, and as you know, there are lots of them involved in this syndrome.



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