Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Chapter Featured Volunteer

When our son, Drew, was eight years old, he was diagnosed with a retinal disease.  As with any family that receives a diagnosis like this, we were devastated.  I immediately went on-line and started researching everything I could find about retinal diseases.  Some of the things I read were not too encouraging.  Then I came across a link for the Foundation Fighting Blindness and suddenly we had HOPE.  We started making monthly donations to help with research for finding treatments and cures. 

While checking the website one day, I noticed they were putting together the 1^st Annual VisionWalk in the Cincinnati area.  We created a team “Drew’s Crew” and have been participating ever since. VisionWalk is the national signature fundraising event of the Foundation Fighting Blindness.  Since its inception in the spring of 2006, the program has raised over $17 million to fund sight-saving research. 

Drew is now 16 and will be a junior in high school.  He gets good grades and wrestles for the high school wrestling team.  Drew never complains about his vision, but I know it is hard for him.  I can’t imagine having to deal with some of the obstacles he goes through day to day. This is an especially difficult time in his life when all his friends are getting their drivers licenses. He says he is OK with it, but I know deep down it bothers him and he feels like he is missing out. I keep telling him, “one day you will be able to drive too!”

There have been great strides in research over the last couple of years which look very promising, yet so much more needs to be done. Now, more than ever, we need your help as research is getting closer to finding treatments and cures for all types of retinal diseases.

With your support, a cure is in sight!