Mary Todd

When Josh reached out to me about Olivia’s willingness to share her testimony, I was thrilled. It excited me that a young person was eager to share the Lord’s work in her life through the affliction of an eye condition. She does a beautiful job at giving us an inside look into what it has been like on a medical level, she gives credit to the many people who have helped her along the way, and her entire testimony is just filled with such gratitude. Little did she or any of us know, we would soon face a disease of our own that would be unlike anything we have ever experienced before. All of us have now been affected in some way or another by COVID-19. Now we can all relate to Olivia because this virus has taken something away from each of us. But I ask you, church, what has it given to us? More time to think about what really matters? More time to slow down? Has it made us recognize how much we need our Savior because of the brokenness and suffering that is in the world? I hope you will take the time to read Olivia’s entire story and that you will be encouraged by her courage, strength, and perseverance to press on. I believe that because of her challenges, she will be a difference-maker.

Olivia 

For those of you who do not know me, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Olivia Moore. I am a junior in high school, and I have attended First Baptist Church for fifteen years. I would like to tell you my story about faith, hope, and healing. In order to fully see the hand of the Lord at work, the dates and timeline in my story are important to note.

In the Fall of 2014, I was diagnosed with strabismus. Strabismus is a visual condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other under normal conditions. There are different types of this condition. I was diagnosed with exotropia which means my eyes drift out. My condition is known as alternating exotropia, because I have it in both eyes. After my diagnosis, I was referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist in Memphis. Once I completed the comprehensive eye exam, the doctor told my mom that I would need to have at least two eye surgeries to hold the eyes in place. One procedure would be performed on each eye. The doctor also told my mom that the first procedure may not fully correct the movement and a second procedure on both eyes may be required. In addition, the physician informed my mom that the problem was neurological, and that surgery would not correct the problem, it would only hold the eyes in place so they would not drift. My mom was also told that eye patching and vision therapy were possible treatments to strengthen the eye muscles and to train the eyes to stay in place, but these treatments may not work. 

After evaluating the options, my parents and the doctor agreed to begin my treatment with eye patching. Because of the severity of my strabismus, I was experiencing headaches, eye strain, focusing issues, and other vision problems that are symptomatic of this condition. In order to give my eyes the necessary time during the day to rest and to participate in the patching therapy, my parents realized that they were going to have to homeschool me so that my eyes could rest and heal. I liked school and I cried the night that my mom told me. At the time, I was in the sixth grade and just about to complete my first semester at Starkville Academy. I was involved in cheerleading and I had plans to try out again in the Spring. I felt like my world was being turned upside down. I was about to have an experience that I never expected to have. Until this point in time, I had always been in school and then suddenly, I wasn’t going to be able to go. I finished the last two weeks of the semester and I am thankful for all the teachers and students who helped me make the most of that time.

As I began my homeschooling education in January 2015, I also had to start wearing an eye patch for a specified amount of time each day. I alternated the eyes on which I wore the patch. During this time, I prepared for a Bible drill competition. That Spring, when my eyes were at their worst, I did the best that I had ever done in Bible drill. The only way this was achieved was through the help of the Lord. 

I initially thought that I would be able to go back to school for seventh grade, but that was not the case. Although my eyes were beginning to improve, they were not well enough to return to school as I had hoped, and I was still having to wear a patch. As I look back today, I believe the beginning of my seventh-grade year is the year the Lord began to layout my healing process. In an effort to keep this simple and easy to follow, I am going to outline the chain of events by grade.

Seventh Grade – 2015/2016  

I was given the opportunity to play basketball at Starkville Christian School. I didn’t know what I was doing. Even though I could see the activity taking place on the court, I had a difficult time seeing the goal or focus both my eyes on a single target. My parents told me to focus on making friends, having fun, and doing my best and that is what I did. I am grateful for my coach, Rachel Witbeck. She taught me how to play basketball and gave me an opportunity to play. She also taught me how to be a part of a team and how to be a team player. I am also thankful for the older girls who encouraged me and helped me learn how to play basketball. I continue to remain close to one of the older girls on the team. 

Once basketball was over, my mom signed me up for softball at SCS. Again, I didn’t know what I was doing. I had never played softball before this. I had played tee ball one year in kindergarten. My mom said, “We have to make the most of the opportunities available to us. Softball is available to us and this is what we are going to do.” I am very grateful for my first softball coach, Ms. Jefferson. She taught me how to play softball and to focus on the positive. She also taught me how to choose good friends and how to form long-lasting friendships. Even though she no longer coaches, she continues to come to some of my games. When I think about all the eye and vision problems that I had at this time, I realize now that the Lord helped me to learn to play these sports and he used these coaches to play a significant role in my life. 

Eight Grade – 2016/2017

By the beginning of my eighth-grade year of school, I had completed all of my eye patching therapy. At this point, my eyes were no longer moving or drifting on their own or uncontrollably. I continued to have scheduled eye exams to check for drifting and other issues. This same year, the Lord brought a new basketball coach into my life. Coach Allie Thomas became my head basketball coach and taught me several new basketball skills. The most important skill I learned was discipline. Coach Thomas taught me the importance of discipline and how it can be applied to every area of your life. I am very thankful to her for teaching me this skill and this life lesson. The Lord also brought a new softball coach into my life, Coach Hayley Martin. Coach Hayley taught me how to play fastpitch softball. She also taught me how to be strong and how to step up to a challenge. My former basketball coach, Rachel Witbeck also became my other softball coach. Coach Rachel also taught me how to play fastpitch softball. In addition, Coach Rachel taught me the importance of always doing my best and the meaning of Colossians 3:23 which states “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” The Lord is the only one who could have provided me with such great role models at one of the most influential times in my life. 

As I mentioned above, my eyes were no longer moving uncontrollably or drifting. However, the doctor could still get them to move during my exams. In the next phase of my treatment, I went to the vision therapy center to be examined to see if additional therapy might help to strengthen the eyes and hold them in place. During this examination, it was discovered that my eyes had a teaming issue. This meant that my eyes did not work together as a team to create binocular vision. My teaming insufficiency was extremely significant. The doctor and therapists believed that the lack of teaming with my eyes exasperated my strabismus. They also believed if the teaming issue were corrected that my eye muscles would continue to strengthen and not drift. Hopefully, this would put the strabismus in an inactive state.

Ninth Grade – 2017/2018

I began eye teaming therapy the summer before my ninth-grade year with a session at the clinic. Then, I used the same computerized program on my home computer five days a week. Every three weeks, I would go to Memphis for a therapy session at the clinic. We usually ate a quick lunch and headed back to Starkville for ball practice. This same year, the Lord brought two new basketball coaches into my life. Luke Buckner became my head basketball coach and he was assisted by Caitlin Buckner. I am very thankful for them and the positive influence that they have had on my life. Coach Luke Buckner taught me more advanced basketball skills, but more importantly he taught me perseverance and to never give up. Only the Lord could provide me with a coach who could teach me the exact life skill that I needed to learn and at the time which I needed to learn it.   

While learning these new basketball skills, I was heavily involved in eye teaming therapy for the majority of my ninth-grade year. After completing this therapy, I continued to have regular checkups to make sure my eyes were teaming, and to monitor my strabismus. By the end of my ninth-grade year, my teaming issue was fully corrected. However, the doctor could still get my eyes to move during examinations and I could still feel the heaviness that happens before the drifting occurs. At this point, there was still some concern that the drifting would return especially when my eyes were put under pressure. If my eyes began to drift again, then it was possible that all my other symptoms would return. With this in mind, my parents decided that it would be best to continue to homeschool for tenth grade. My parents thought that another year at home would give my eyes more time to strengthen and heal.    

Tenth Grade – 2018/2019

This was my first time in two years to begin school without having to be involved in some type of vision therapy. I was extremely excited about this. I continued to have regular checkups and I quit having those feelings of heaviness which would occur before the drifting. Everything seemed to be going very well. The Lord brought two new assistant basketball coaches into my life, Coach Tricia Buckner and Coach Monica Buckner. Coach Tricia has always believed in me and encouraged me. Her encouragement to me has taught me how to encourage others. Coach Monica was a great motivator. She kept our team fired up and focused. I believe only the Lord could provide me with such a great combination of coaches and mentors. 

Things were going very well. We were having a good season and I was really enjoying my year without therapy. During one of my regular checkups, the doctor noticed that my visual memory scores had dropped. At the time, the doctor didn’t think it was a real concern. Sometimes people can just have bad days during certain parts of the eye exam. At the next exam appointment, I was given a more extensive visual memory test. On certain sections of that test, I scored significantly low. At this point in time, I had not participated in any therapy for visual memory because I needed to work on the other visual conditions and it is best to do one therapy at a time. As you probably guessed, this would become my next therapy project to help me improve this skill. I think it was around this time that I realized that I would not be able to enroll in school for my junior year. I had really hoped that I would be able to go to school for my last two years but the Lord had other plans. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give hope and a future.”

As a part of my summer reading program, my mom suggested I read a couple of books by Tim Tebow. If you did not know, Tim Tebow was homeschooled. After reading these books, I think I began to make peace with my situation.

Eleventh Grade – 2019/2020

I began my junior year as a homeschool student. Even though I have not been able to return to school for this year and I haven’t been completely healed, I have realized all the good things that have come from this. During a conversation with my mom in October, she asked me if I would be willing to share my testimony about the faithfulness from the Lord while I have gone through this. I told her that I would. I also told her that I wanted to write my testimony, but I did not want to stand up and give it to a crowd. She suggested I write an article for the Redefined magazine. I told her that I would, but I wanted to wait until basketball season was over and she agreed. This conversation occurred the weekend of October 5th. A few days after I made a commitment to share my testimony, I went to my regular scheduled eye doctor appointment on Wednesday, October 9th. It was during this appointment that my doctor told me that my eyes were no longer moving. As I shared earlier, my eyes were not drifting uncontrollably or on their own, but the doctor was always able to get them to move during the eye exams. This was the first time in five years that my eyes would not move for any reason. The doctor said she did everything that she could to try to make them move and they would not. This is truly something that only the Lord could have done.  

Back in February of this year, my mom contacted the church about submitting my testimony in the Redefined magazine. It was decided that I could submit my article in May which is the national month for healthy vision awareness. There was no way in February that I could have known what would take place in our country a few weeks later. While I was on a Spring Break mission trip, COVID-19 was surfacing in many states across the country. As we were returning home, my friends and I were learning about all the cancellations and closures. I had no idea at this time that students across America would begin learning from home. When I realized this, I was stunned.     

For many of you reading this, you are having an experience that you were not expecting to have. The adjustment may be challenging, confusing, and frustrating. You may feel like your world has been turned upside down. All of this has happened through no fault of your own. I understand and I know exactly what that feels like, because I have been there. I want to encourage all of you as you journey down this road. The Lord is faithful. He loves you and He will make good out of this situation. Even though I have not been able to return to school, you will and I wish all of you the absolute best. Please know that the Lord is good and He will get you through this just as He helped me through my vision challenges. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  

I realized about six months ago all the good things that have come from my experience. Now, I would like to share some of those with you. First of all, I have made many new friends through the homeschool community and through my sports participation at Starkville Christian School. I may not have met many of these people any other way. I have learned to play two sports that I may have never tried. While we have no medical proof of this, my mom and I both believe the skills that I have acquired and used to be successful in these two sports have significantly aided in healing my vision. I have had great coaches who have mentored me and taught me life lessons that are greater than any sport. Most importantly, I have experienced the healing power and provision of the Lord. While I have not been completely healed, I continue to have the hope and faith that full healing is possible. As I mentioned earlier, I learned from Coach Buckner to persevere and to never give up. 

Please know that if you are struggling with anything, the Lord is there for you and He can provide all types of healing. If you are struggling with something, I encourage you to reach out to the Lord and to someone who knows the Lord. He will meet you where you are.     

I want to thank all of you who have prayed for me and ask for your continued prayers. Hopefully, I will complete my visual memory therapy this summer. I will most likely go for my check-up in July. My prayer is that this therapy will be successful and that my eyes and vision will be strong and healthy. Earlier in this story, I shared with you that as of October 2019, the doctor was no longer able to make my eyes move during the eye exam. My other prayer is that this is still the case and my strabismus is in an inactive state.

Before I was homeschooled, I attended both the Starkville School District and Starkville Academy. I want to give a special thanks to all my teachers and my friends at both schools. In addition, I am forever grateful to the Starkville Homeschool community for welcoming me into the group and for all the opportunities which they have provided for me. Thank you so much for your friendship and your encouragement. I also want to express my thankfulness to Starkville Christian School for allowing me to play sports at your school and accepting me as one of your own. I especially want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Witbeck for giving me this great opportunity and always making me feel welcomed.

Mary Todd 

Church, I believe that we all can be encouraged by Olivia's story during this pandemic. We can rest assured that full healing will come for those that believe in Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5: 1-5 states, "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee, he has given us his Holy Spirit.”

So now, more than ever, seek out those who may not know the truth. People need hope. People need Jesus Christ.