VT Works

My guess is we have all had those patients – the ones who leave an indelible mark on our lives. Maybe you connected over a common interest, a favorite sports team, or even were invited to watch a performance; whatever the reason, they will likely never be forgotten. My sense is to qualify this a bit by saying all patients are special, truly, but I have reached a point in my own development where remembering yesterday’s breakfast can be a challenge, so although I appreciate them all, not all patients and faces stick with me. Occasionally, though, some do. This is the story of a special patient, a life well lived, and a chance encounter.

What follows is shared with permission.

Back in 2005, I was living in San Diego and working in the same office as Dr. Bob Sanet and Linda Sanet. That time of my life was great. My kids were both born in San Diego, my job was amazing, and my little family was thriving. Some of my most fond memories are encapsulated in that time period.

One of my most favorite patients of that time was named Dylan Vaughn. At the time, Dylan was about seven years old and was a favorite among the Vision Therapists in the office. My memory of him is he would always come in with a smile, always work hard, and always leave us all feeling good about our time with him by the end of each visit. Dylan also had Cerebral Palsy, and there were movement activities which were tough. Some twenty years later, recalling the degree his Cerebral Palsy impacted him is tough, but my sense is he did have challenges with mobility and maintaining balance. Despite his condition, Dylan always maintained a positive outlook and definitely had all of us in his corner. He eventually graduated from Vision Therapy, and with a tear or two, we all wished him well.

Over the years, Dylan would cross my mind occasionally. He was always one of those kids I would wonder “what ever happened to Dylan?” I wonder how life became once he reached high school, and maybe even went to college. Do you think he is doing well? I may have tried to look him up once or twice some years back, but to no avail. All I could really remember was that his dad was a pilot for Southwest Airlines (don’t ask – my brain holds on to the most random facts) and he had a younger sister. I also remember both his parents were amazingly kind and supportive people, the kind that had compassion to spare when raising a child with Dylan’s condition. Although we had lost contact, I just hoped the work we had done with him had somehow improved his life.

Fast forward almost 20 years…

Last week, I traveled to Houston to celebrate my son’s 18th birthday and returned home this past Sunday. As I was getting off the plane beginning to walk up the jetway in San Jose, there was a pilot standing there waiting to board the plane for the next flight. For the briefest of moments, he looked slightly familiar, and as I walked past him I glanced at his name badge.

It read “Tom Vaughn”.

Before I could stop myself, my mouth blurted out “are you Dylan’s dad?”. A bit shocked, he looked at me and responded that he was. I explained my history in Vision Therapy and that we had met in San Diego several years ago when Dylan was pretty young. He told me Dylan is now 24 years old and is doing very well. We chatted for a few moments, and before saying goodbye, I did ask him to tell his wife and Dylan hello.

I hurried home, turned on my computer, and sent Linda an email with the subject line “Guess who I saw today??”

After hearing my story, Linda, reached out to Dylan’s mom asking if things were well with Dylan, unsure if she would even receive a response since the contact information was several years old.

Well, she did.

Here are a few excerpts from the response.

It’s Kathi Vaughn, Dylan’s mom! Tom told me he ran into Robert and I was absolutely blown away that he remembered him! I don’t know how much Tom told Robert, but Dylan is doing great! He grew into quite an athlete and was recruited to play college baseball!  He had a few articles written about him and even a quick news piece that I will try to attach to this email.He is still playing rec baseball even though he is done with junior college. He is now obsessed with pickle ball and is the moderator and front desk/pro shop at Barnes Tennis Center. How are you all doing? Thank you so much for reaching out! We are truly grateful to all the wonderful therapists such as yourself who helped Dylan so much along his path!

Life is strange sometimes. Over the last few months, I have had one trying situation after another, both on personal and professional levels, some of which I would wish on no one. To say the least, this season of my life has made me question everything, from my social skills, to my capacity for choosing a mate, to the feasibility of long distance emotional support, to having even considered moving on from Vision Therapy. For the first time, the words “emotional exhaustion” have real meaning.

Admittedly, the world can be cruel, and while there are always people out there who have it worse than we do, it can be difficult to not get wrapped up in our own mess. Sometimes though, a chance encounter on a jetway in San Jose, CA can be just the reminder we need that there really are good people out there, the ones who see us for who we are, and genuinely appreciate our efforts. And while I am under no misconception that one reconnection with a great VT family will fully mend my struggles and challenges, in a weird way, it felt like the universe’s way of telling me appreciation and positive energy are out there – sometimes we just need to pay attention and look a little harder – right after we return our seat back and tray table to their full and upright and locked position.

Please enjoy a few moments with Dylan HERE.