Liz Dunn was only 17 when she first met George Hooker. They were both in college. When he saw her, he was immediately smitten although it took him awhile to get up the courage to talk to her. When he finally did, it would end up starting not just a great relationship but a very surprising and — over the course of some years — powerful odyssey.
The two fell in love and spent two years together. But they were still very young.
At 19 Liz realized that university wasn’t for her and she enlisted in the Marines. George only received a few letters from her before she announced that she had met someone else. And with that, a pure, simple early love came to an end. Or so it seemed for over a decade.
The person Liz got involved with became her husband and father of her daughter Sarah. They lived near Houston, Texas, and Sarah went from a baby to a charming three-year-old. When Liz was pregnant for the second time, though, the marriage broke down. The father left Liz with their little girl and an unborn child. This might sound tough, but the adversity Liz would face had only just begun.
Liz wasn’t just pregnant with one child: she was carrying triplets. She was going to have raise four kids by herself. Then in the 23rd week, her water broke. They managed to delay the birth a few days but finally three tiny girls were delivered by C-section: Emma, Sophie, and Zoe.
Each just weighed around a single pound. Because they were so premature, their sight ended up being permanently compromised. In fact, all three girls would go completely blind.
During their long hospital stay, they were also put on antibiotics to deal with another of the complications but this led to hearing loss. By the age of two, the triplets would also be totally deaf. Liz’s girls held the distinction of being the only known triplets to be both blind and deaf. Silence. And then darkness.
Soon Liz was overwhelmed.
There was no question of working now. She had to devote herself full-time to taking care of her children, and the family’s prospects for a comfortable or happy life weren’t good.
Then, out of nowhere, someone got in touch: George. Liz was thrilled… and terrified. What would he think of her situation?
George, though, was the same person he’d always been and at just the sight of Liz he fell in love all over again. But he didn’t know about her children. How would he react? She was so scared.
No one could have predicted his response to this struggling family: he decided without a moment’s hesitation to stay at Liz’s side. He became an equal partner in raising both Sarah and the triplets.
The little girls, who were now equipped with hearing aids and could hear some sounds, made much more progress now that their mother had such a supportive companion and ally.
Take a look at this moving and incredibly informative documentary, “Through Your Eyes,” about the Hookers and other families who deal with childhood blindness:
What a love story. The rare strength and dedication that Liz has shown as her children’s biological mother is already inspiring. And add to that, George, who came into this struggle to be with her, by choice.
They both worry that they’re never doing enough for their girls but as anyone can see with an outside perspective, they’re doing a tremendous job. The love and devotion they demonstrate just by being who they are in the face of such challenges is inspirational!
Source: Littlethings, via
