VIDEO: Military’s Almost Blind Son Sees Him for the First Time

9-month-old Reagan had serious eye problems from his birth. His father, who serves the Air Force, came home just before the child got glasses. Watch the father’s incredible reaction when his son sees him for the first time. He breaks down in tears, like all of us would.

Read Reagan’s full story below, provided by Today.

When Captain Brandon Caldwell left for a U.S. Air Force deployment in Antarctica more than two months ago, he worried that his son, Reagan, who is 9 months old, might not recognize him. But, his fears soon disappeared when the boy immediately went to him.

Reagan excitedly clapped through dad’s rendition of “Pat-a-Cake” before burrowing his head in his dad’s shoulder, a sweet moment that mom, Amanda Caldwell, caught on camera before she broke down in tears.

The moment felt even more special because Reagan, who is legally blind, was wearing his first pair of glasses.

He finally saw his dad clearly.

Reagan is legally blind because of brain damage he suffered after developing bacterial meningitis and sepsis when he was only 22 days old.

When Reagan was born on June 2, 2016 he seemed perfect. But one night three weeks later, he cried inconsolably for four hours. Amanda struggled to soothe him and then he slept for five hours straight. Over the next few days, he acted sluggish and shunned breastfeeding.

Because of his fussy eating habits, Amanda met with her lactation consultant. At the appointment, the consultant picked up Reagan and felt shocked by how warm he was. His temperature was over 101 degrees. They rushed him to the ER and he was immediately transferred to Albany Medical Center’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

In the PICU he started seizing, which doctors controlled with a medically induced coma for four days while also administering IV antibiotics to quash the bacterial meningitis. When Reagan opened his eyes, they were crossed and he couldn’t focus.

Doctors told the Caldwells to expect Reagan to have cognitive delays and possible cerebral palsy. He experienced significant brain damage in his occipital and parietal lobes.

After returning home, the Caldwells gave Reagan IV antibiotics through a mainline for two weeks and he was on an anti-seizure medication that made him sleepy and cranky. Over the past two months, he has been weaned off the anti-seizure medication.

“He is developmentally delayed. He struggles with fine motor, gross motor, and obviously, vision,” she said.

While Caldwell was with Amanda and Reagan when he was in the hospital, he has returned to work as an Air Force pilot and two months ago, he was deployed. At that time, Amanda was struggling to find an eye doctor to treat Reagan, but local doctors wanted to wait.

She found a doctor in Boston willing to treat Reagan’s vision. Amanda now uses patches on Reagan for an hour a day and he got his adorable glasses, which made the reunion with dad so much better.

Since being able to see, Reagan’s cognitive abilities seemed to improve.

While Caldwell needs to go to Arkansas for six weeks, Amanda hopes to take Reagan to visit him.

Anyone can write on Evonews. Start writing!