4-Year-Old Blind Boy, Gavin Stevens, First Step Off Sidewalk Curb Goes Viral [VIDEO]

A 4-year-old blind boy’s brave attempt at conquering a sidewalk curb has gone viral.

When Gavin Stevens, of Eastvale, Calif., was picked up from preschool, he decided he didn’t need his mother's help anymore stepping off the curb, NBC's "Today" show reports.

For the first time, Gavin used his little white cane to navigate his way down the sidewalk step. His mom, Jennifer Stevens, 37, decided to capture the moment with her cell phone, she told "Today."

In the 46-second clip, Gavin, sporting his school backpack, is seen approaching the curb and hesitatingly feeling out his surroundings using his cane. His mom can be heard in the background giving him words of encouragement.

“You can do it, baby. Go ahead,” she says.

Once he succesfully made it down the step, his mom cheered, “Good job!”

Despite the attention he's received, Gavin remains aloof about his big step. “It was cool,” he told CBS LA. “I like to do (things) myself.”

Since the video was posted on March 7 it has gained more than 400,000 views and more than 7,000 likes.

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The viral video’s Internet success came as a surprise to Jennifer Stevens.

“I thought it would be inspiring to other parents of children just starting to use a cane,” she told "Today" on her reasons for posting the video.

In the months after Gavin Stevens was born, he was diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis, a genetic eye disorder that causes severe vision loss in infancy.

His parents created the Gavin R. Stevens Foundation in their son’s name to raise research money for the disease.

“We know how empty we felt when we were told our son was blind and there was really nowhere to turn,” Troy Stevens, Gavin’s father, told CBS LA.

In 2012, Gavin’s family experienced great news when Oregon researchers discovered the specific gene that causes Gavin’s blindness.

Gavin’s mom continues to remains one of his biggest cheerleaders.

“We have the same expectations for him as we do our older son Landon. He’s going to be independent, he’s going to be happy. We never want anyone to feel sorry for him because we don’t want him to feel sorry for himself,” she told CBS LA.