Shortly after birth Madilyn was diagnosed with bilateral anophthalmia. Anopthalmia is a condition in which the eyeball tissue does not develop as normal in utero and therefore, the baby is born blind. For Madilyn, anopthalmia was not the extent of her diagnosis, as she also was born with a clubbed foot, underdeveloped nasal passages and nose, and craniosynatosis.Through the power of social media, we met Madilyn’s mother Hillary after she heard about our snuggly, huggable Lamby Lambpants™ doll and his dynamic (and very silly) audiobooks via Twitter. She immediately contacted us to share her daughter’s story. Here’s just a part of the email we received:You know, it’s not easy running a new kind of business, let alone starting one from scratch with only two people at the helm. The story of Hillary and Mighty Madilyn, like so many other incredible parents and children we're privileged to meet, is the fuel we need to keep doing what we do, despite the obstacles we face.After all, as our resident lamb always says, “Never give up on anything that makes a little heart shine like the sun.” Well, that’s settled then—we’re not giving up!Hillary’s daughter Madilyn inspired her mother to start Sensory Sun Education Technologies to share her experiences, research and ideas with other parents and teachers of visually impaired children.Also important to Hillary was raising awareness, so that others could understand and learn to empathize with children like her very own Madilyn. Hillary says that her next step will be to form a national nonprofit to further raise awareness, advocate and provide resources for children with myriad visual impairments, promoting a fully accessible world. Visit Hillary’s website to learn more about her mission and read her blog to stay tuned to what she is doing to help raise awareness for the visually impaired community.In addition to the paperback and ebook versions, Lamby’s two newest adventures are available as audiobooks on Amazon, iTunes and Audible. Here are summaries of the latest picture books if you haven’t had a chance to review them:Dramatic Reading For Ages 3+ (15 min. Length)$6.95 Purchase Price ( iTunes Amazon.com and Audible.com

DESCRIPTION: Sometimes it takes someone special to help you understand just how special you are. For a sassy stuffed toy named Lamby and a young girl named Katie Beagle, they did that for each other. And surprisingly enough, for everyone else around them too! The first in a series of Lamby Lambpants adventures narrated (very dramatically) by author and Love & Fleece co-founder D. Byron Patterson.

Narrated by D. Byron Patterson (and Lamby)Dramatic Reading For Ages 3+ (13 min. Length)$6.95 Purchase Price ( iTunes Amazon.com and Audible.com

DESCRIPTION: Jonesy the Chinese puppy dragon, Snout and Lamby Lambpants skip and soar in an exciting (and even dangerous) adventure that teaches kids the importance of friendship, having courage and never giving up. The dramatic narration by author D. Byron Patterson is not to be missed.



D. Byron Patterson is the co-founder of Love & Fleece Happy Toys and Books. Love & Fleece creates plush toys and books that promote self esteem and raise awareness of childhood bullying. For more information, visit www.loveandfleece.com or www.facebook.com/loveandfleece.