As everyone knows, not all children are born with eyesight.  For some surgery can help restore vision, and for others it is permanent.  Stories continually amaze me, like the man I met who was legally blind since birth but rode a bicycle through downtown Toronto using his hearing and some ability to see grey blobs… I am not making that up!!

Girl with horse

I am thrilled to have just received a couple of pictures of a little girl (above) who was given one of my horses a little over a year ago.  I had sent off a couple of felt horses I had made to someone who volunteers at a therapeutic horse park to give one to a girl who rides there.

When this came up I wondered how it would be to only be able to only feel one of my 100% wool felt horses… they are soft, shaped like a horse and ‘warm’ to the touch from the felt and wool stuffing, lovingly handmade (of course!), plus they do also smell quite nice!  I then imagined the alternative, plastic with hard bits made by a machine.  It took me about a nanosecond to realise that a natural toy would would feel better all around even if you could never see it. Since that day I will often stop, close my eyes and feel what I am working on.

On the topic of blind children, I want to link a fundraiser for Max, the son of doll maker Amy, owner of Malula Dolls.  His page is Mad Max at Trolley Run 2012  . Of course you can always support Malula Dolls, which I adore of course!!  Her Facebook fan page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Malula-Dolls .