The sun is out. It is a beautiful Miami winter day. Greila Javier would love to take her three children to a park or the beach, or even a stroll around the block. Oh, what she would give to spend Saturday mornings watching her 6-year-old son, Alexis, play a sport, like some of the other kids in his kindergarten class.
Instead, most days, she keeps her kids inside their dimly-lit one-bedroom, one-bath Northwest Miami duplex, where the family of five sleeps in one room and keeps its belongings in one closet. Alexis and his 21-month-old brother, Erick, suffer from an inherited, degenerative eye condition called Rod/Cone Dystrophy, which causes extreme light sensitivity. Every time they step outside, their eyes shut.
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Greila Javier de Benavides holds her son Erick, 1, as her daughter Solimar, 4, at left and Alexis, 6, at right, look on while outside their home in Miami on Dec. 4, 2018. The boys are visually impaired and need specialized glasses. The family has financial difficulties. Meanwhile, mold issues in their home have forced them to get rid of a couch, two mattresses, clothing and several toys.
Al Diaz adiaz@miamiherald.com
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Greila Javier de Benavides, 26, holds her son Erick Benavides Javier, 1, and Abdiel Alexis Benavides Javier, 6, is seen at front right, as her daughter Solimar Benavides Javier, 4, jumps on the bed in the bedroom they all share at home in Miami on Dec. 4, 2018. Mold issues in their home have forced them to get rid of a couch, two mattresses, clothing and several toys. Al Diaz adiaz@miamiherald.com
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