How does albinism affect Amber?
The lack of pigment in skin causes her to be at a slightly higher risk of skin cancer. The lack of pigment in her eyes results in abnormal development of the retina and abnormal patterns of nerve connections between the eye and the brain. As a result Amber has some vision problems that cannot be corrected by glasses. People with Albinism also often have sensitivity to bright light, strabismus (wandering or crossed eyes), and nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyes or wiggly eyes). Amber has all three of these to some degree. She will be getting surgery to fix the strabismus soon, which will help her expand her field of vision but will not help her see farther or clearer. There is surgery for nystagmus as well but after talking with the pediatric ophthalmologist and reading about it we don’t feel that is something she should have right now.
