Samuel “SuperSam” Simko

Finding understanding and growing with cerebral visual impairment (CVI)

Finding understanding and growing with cerebral visual impairment (CVI)
Four years ago, Sam’s family was searching for a clearer understanding of how he saw and processed the world. FearlessHOPE helped them obtain a diagnosis of cerebral visual impairment (CVI), giving them answers that changed how they supported his learning and daily life. The diagnosis gave his family a clearer sense of how to support him and the tools he needed to learn and grow.

Since then, they have watched Sam make remarkable progress in his vision, learning, and social development. Today, he is mastering sight words, practicing addition and subtraction, and independently navigating school in his electric wheelchair. He recently underwent guided growth surgery on both knees to address his knee contractures and support his future mobility, even as he continues to embrace the everyday joys and responsibilities of being a second grader.

In Samuel Simko’s second-grade classroom, he is known as the “class mayor,” a nickname earned by keeping his classmates on schedule and making sure everyone follows the rules. To his family, he is SuperSam, a funny, bright, outgoing little boy whose growing confidence shows in the friendships he builds and the independence he brings to each school day.

Looking back, his family is struck by how much has changed since those early days of searching for answers. Understanding Sam’s vision helped them recognize more of what was possible for him, and they have continued to see that potential unfold with the right support and opportunities.

“Fearless Hope will always hold such a special place in our hearts,” his family shares. “Having that diagnosis gave us a new understanding of how Sam sees and processes the world and helped us learn how to better support him.”