A proud dad could not contain his excitement when his young daughter, blind since birth, rode a bike all by herself for the very first time.
Eleven-year-old Armiah Gilchrist lives with her parents, Mariah Gilchrist and Jamie Gilchrist, both 32, and her three younger siblings in Virginia. Armiah, who is legally blind, was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia at birth, a condition where the optic nerve is underdeveloped or absent completely. But she doesn’t let it hold her back.
The Gilchrists love to teach their kids to find joy in life and place their faith in God. On Oct. 18, Armiah did exactly that: when her father let go of her bicycle frame while riding in the park for the very first time, she kept on pedaling without him.
In footage of the moment, taken by Mrs. Gilchrist, Mr. Gilchrist runs beside his daughter whooping with glee, “That’s my girl, that’s my girl!”
Armiah says, “I’m not scared! ... I have inner vision.”
Watch the video:
As a family who puts God first, Mrs. Gilchrist says that faith is their foundation and they “always want to place joy” in their kids.
“We are a family that can’t be broken. You have to move off faith and your beliefs and understand that you’re going to be guided by God, and He’s going to do things that nobody else does,” she said, describing her eldest daughter as courageous, outgoing, and resilient.
“She does everything herself. She cooks. Everything is within herself,” the mom said. “[At school] she does great. She’s always [on the] honor roll.”
After learning their firstborn was legally blind, the couple placed their faith in God and loved and supported their daughter to the best of their ability.
They also endeavor to teach their four kids to be self-dependent, so they can serve others better. “Before you help somebody else, you’ve got to help yourself. You can’t give somebody something that you don’t have yourself,” Mrs. Gilchrist said.
The Gilchrists have a large following on social media and love to share life’s little triumphs with the world to spread hope and joy.
“It’s about the inspiration,” Mrs. Gilchrist said, “to let everyone know that no matter how unique you may feel, [you can do] everything you put your mind to, as long as you can seem to keep God first.”
