The heartbreaking moment two parents from Calgary, Canada, realized their daughter was blind is going viral.
In a clip on TikTok posted by mom Amanda Burritt (@mandaburritt), she and husband Jamie Shingleton bring over a slice of birthday cake to their 1-year-old, Emma. As they sing Happy Birthday, Emma doesn’t look toward her parents or the cake, using her other senses instead—the moment Amanda knew her daughter’s vision was severely impaired.
"When I first realized that she was likely blind, I was shocked," Amanda, 39, told Newsweek. "It was only around her first birthday where it started to get noticeable, so it felt like it came out of nowhere. My heart broke, but I naively prayed that we would be able to help her vision in some way or another like with glasses or some sort of surgery once we had definitive answers."
Just days earlier, Amanda and Jamie, who are also parents to 3-year-old Callie, had been referred to specialists after Emma’s pediatrician raised concerns about her lack of environmental awareness.
While they waited for those appointments, the couple decided to visit an optometrist—only to leave more confused. Emma’s eyes appeared healthy, but her optic nerves were unusually pale, a sign that something deeper might be wrong.
"At the time, we didn’t want to believe she was blind, so we held onto hope that was not the case," the mom of two said. "As we got home, I went down a rabbit hole of what it could be or what could have caused it."
Those answers came a month later. An MRI confirmed that Emma had optic nerve atrophy and cortical vision impairment, conditions that have no cure. Amanda threw herself into vision therapy and homemade light-up crafts, determined to give her daughter every chance.
Then, six months later, came another blow: a diagnosis of KIF1A-associated neurological disorder (KAND), an extremely rare degenerative genetic condition affecting roughly 600 people worldwide. It explained why Emma’s vision had worsened over time and why she faced additional challenges beyond blindness.
The diagnosis reshaped the family’s life overnight. "We immediately researched where in Canada had the best resources for kids like Emma and read Alberta was the best," Amanda said. "We sold our house, quit our jobs and moved to Calgary away from all family [and] friends to give Emma the best chance to thrive."
Amanda’s heartbreaking video has been viewed more than 9 million times and received over 364,000 likes.
Hundreds of users rallied around Amanda and her family in the comments, with many sharing how members of their family are visually impaired but "thriving."
For Amanda, watching her daughter’s birthday footage back still stirs deep emotion. “[It] breaks my heart, but one thing I’ve learned over the years is that Emma doesn’t need to experience the world the same way we do," she said. "She experiences it in her own beautiful way, and her smile always says it all."
Now 6, Emma is blind, nonmobile, nonverbal and has epilepsy. She attends a specialized school where therapy is built into her learning and enjoys adaptive horseback riding, swimming, music, and traveling. She also has a little sister, Callie, 3, who Amanda calls "her biggest cheerleader and best friend."
Despite the challenges of being a parent to a disabled child, it is the heaviest, yet "most beautiful" responsibility Amanda has ever had to face. She also shares videos and updates on Instagram (@thelifeofemmabean) to raise awareness for KAND.
"Emma remains the happiest girl you will ever meet and radiates joy everywhere she goes," Amanda said. "The happy little girl you see in the video is the same happy little girl today and for that I am grateful."
