Richard Dreyfuss Shares Emotional Photos of Son’s Congenital Disorder Diagnosis

Actor Richard Dreyfuss, renowned for his roles in “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” has shared intimate and heartfelt photos documenting the birth of his son, Ben. These images capture the shock and confusion parents often feel when discovering their newborn has a birth abnormality.

On June 14, 1986, Dreyfuss and his wife, Jeramie Rain, welcomed their second child. Shortly after his birth, they sensed something was amiss. Ben later described his own birth, writing, “Your eyes are not the same. One is blue, the other is grey. One is hiding under a partially opened eyelid; the other is extending far beyond it, like a potato exploding out of an egg cup.”

Richard described this moment as the “most traumatic and emotional” of his life in a Twitter post. He wrote, “My wife Jeramie gave birth to our second amazing child. And, as these pictures show, we slowly realized there was a problem with our son.”

The actor went on to share more about his feelings in various tweets. He wrote, “I held him and promised him that I would do everything I could to save him. That I would love him no matter what.”

Ben was the first person born in California with Peters anomaly, a rare genetic condition affecting the cornea and eye structure. This led to multiple eye surgeries during his first year of life, eventually resulting in the loss of sight in his left eye. Dreyfuss mentioned how he and his wife spent months in hospitals and years raising funds for children with similar conditions, led by Jeramie’s charitable efforts.

The photos shared are profoundly touching because they encapsulate the mixed emotions of joy and concern that parents go through during such experiences. They reveal the raw and genuine moments when they slowly begin to understand the challenges their child might face, even as they are enveloped in the beauty of new life.

Ben later explained his life with one eye in a candid blog post. The post, which his father shared at the end of the tweet thread, provides a deeply personal account of Ben’s evolving struggles with his condition. He gives insight into how his awareness of being different shaped his interactions and self-perception.

“Eventually, you come around to the idea that much more noticeable than the eye itself is your reaction to it,” Ben writes. “You couldn’t make eye contact with anyone for decades. Upon this realization, you decided to make piercing eye contact with everyone.”

Ben’s journey took him into journalism, where he served as the head of audience development at Mother Jones for eight years. He continues to share his unique perspectives through his popular Substack blog, “Good Faith,” where he discusses the interplay of politics and social media with a critical yet liberal viewpoint.

Richard Dreyfuss’ photos are more than just a glimpse into a family’s private moments; they show how even someone with fame and acclaim can feel utterly vulnerable in the face of a child’s health issue. On a deeper level, the photos capture the emotional upheaval that many parents experience during what should be a purely joyous occasion.

These photos and the accompanying story offer solace and a sense of connection to other parents who might be going through similar trials. They serve as a poignant reminder that love and resilience can overcome the initial despair of such life-altering moments.

This article originally appeared on 7.21.22