Meet Everleigh, our 2022 CoverKid winner!
Photos by Jamie Alexander
This outgoing little girl, who turned 1 in June, is the only child of Kendal Connor and Logan Howard.
Although she is an only child, both mom and dad say Everleigh will be the best big sister one day. Words that describe this sweet girl? Loving, funny and sweet.
“She loves to blow kisses and give hugs,” Kendal said. “She doesn’t know a stranger and will blow kisses and wave at anyone and everyone. She definitely lights up the room wherever she goes.”
Everleigh loves playing with her dog, Milo, reading books, eating, going on walks and playing with her cousins.
Everleigh was born with double coloboma, a condition that affects 1 in 10,000 children, where some tissue is missing in a part of the eye.
According to her parents, one of Everleigh’s colobomas is more of a keyhole shape and the other is more cat eye shape. She sees an eye specialist in Louisville every six months to check on her growth.
“It really scared us at first, but after visiting her specialist, we learned we were one of the lucky ones,” Logan said. “Her coloboma, which can have underlying conditions, was only cosmetic, and her vision will be good to perfect throughout her life. She will have more of a sensitivity to sunlight than most, but that’s a blip on the radar. And who doesn’t look cooler in sunglasses?”
Coloboma does not go away and it can’t be fixed so Everleigh will just have beautiful, one-of-a-kind eyes for the rest of her life. Her unique look is directly on par with her personality, her parents said, and they are looking forward to celebrating everything that makes Everleigh special in what is sure to be her bright future.