Lindsay Peterson, one of the original EagleEyes students, is moving on from the Boston College Campus School. The EagleEyes and Campus School staff will miss Lindsay. The BEAT recently spoke with Lindsay’s mother, Kathy Peterson, about Lindsay’s experiences and upcoming departure.

How old is Lindsay? What kind of illness/ disability does your daughter have?
Lindsay will be 22 years old. She has Miller-Dieker Syndrome, which leaves her totally dependent on others for all of her needs. This is a rare chromosome disorder and there is not much information on it. Lindsay is the oldest living person with this syndrome. She is in a wheelchair totally supported, she does not have the ability to sit or stand or even hold her head, but she has great eye control and will answer questions with her eyes.

How long has Lindsay been using the system? What has Lindsay been working on with EagleEyes?
Lindsay has been using the system for 11 years. She first started with choice programs and eye paintings. Lindsay enjoys playing games, more specifically Tic Tac Toe, which she is the EagleEyes champ. [Lindsay won nine Tic Tac Toe games in a row.] Lindsay’s favorite thing to do is Eye Paintings. She was given the nickname "Lindsay Monet" because of her awesome paintings.

Do you have any special memories about your daughter using EagleEyes?
We will always remember when Frank Curran [the first EagleEyes teacher and the program’s spiritual mentor] would come into the room while Lindsay was on the system and he would stand at the back of the room and try to observe. This would never last long because Frank could never curb his enthusiasm and would always end up jumping up and down cheering when Lindsay hit a target. We would turn around and look at him and he would say he was sorry and he would not do it again, but of course a few minutes later he would do it again. We miss him terribly now that he is gone.

What have you learned about your daughter?
We now know that she has been absorbing a lot of what we have been trying to teach her. That she has a very definite stubborn side to her as she has shown through not wanting to leave a program until she has finished and that if she doesn't like a program she will refuse to participate. She has much more intelligence than we were told that she would have and that you never stop trying to teach because you never know what is retained.

What is on the horizon for your daughter?
Lindsay will be attending an adult dayhab after she turns 22. Right now she will continue with what she is using, but you never know what she will master in the future.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
We would like to thank all the staff for all of their hard work and the dedication that they have given to Lindsay. Without their enthusiasm and determination to push Lindsay to her limits, we might never have known just how much Lindsay was capable of doing. It’s been important that Lindsay is able to have some independence in one area of her life. So much is controlled by others.

Our thanks go out to the creators of EagleEyes for putting their heart and soul into creating this program and their desire to continue making the world accessible to those individuals who would otherwise not be able to communicate with the world around them. They are truly remarkable people and the world is a better place for all the users of EagleEyes because of them.