Help My Mom See What We See

My name is Krizia and I normally don't share my personal story with anyone but today, I want to make sure you see through me. I am from Texas and have been alive and kickin' for 25 years now and counting. I have a darling baby sister, Katia who is 11 and two wonderful parents, Julio and Norma, whom you would be delighted to meet. My family and I share a very close bond and every chance we get, we pray for the same thing ... my mother. We pray for God to somehow improve her eye sight so that she can be able to live like every normal human being. I understand that some people's vision is not perfect. However, I also know that most vision can be corrected with glasses or contacts and surgery. My mom's eye condition does not fall under that category.

She has Retinitis Pigmentosa, also known as RP.  They discovered this when she was a little girl and ever since then, it's only gotten worse. It is a devastating, progressive and serious eye condition with no cure in which you lose your peripheral vision first  and then eventually all of it. RP is essentially tunnel vision and only continues to allow its victim to see less and less of a normal picture along with blurriness. It is as if you are looking at life through a ripped up screen door or foggy television channel. Through the years, I have learned exactly who my mom is and gone through this with her. I'm blessed to have her. We are best friends and I want nothing more than for her to see me all dolled up in a wedding gown and walk down the aisle next to my husband, my future children from God, my little sister graduate and blossom into a beautiful young woman, my father when they grow old together, and most importantly be able to live independently and live her life without anxiety or boundaries.

Recently, I had a sweet friend of mine overhear my situation with my mom, her RP and how I was so worried because every time I heard my mom's voice in the morning, I knew she was sad. It affected me at work, my everyday life and my words of comfort couldn't be "It's gonna be ok or it'll get better soon". I didn't know what else to do besides research for months of different avenues of help even outside of the US where medical intervention along with regulations are more liberal and actually legal but everything I found didn't seem too promising. 

My friend gave me the name of a man who was part of her church back home in Tennessee that was legally blind but was blessed to find and be a part of a clinical trial involving bone marrow derived stem cell treatment that allowed him to have perfect vision. I was in complete disbelief but thought I should reach out to him with my story because I had nothing to lose. Within hours, I received a response and my mother was able to exchange conversation with him. She was then directed to an incredible physician in Florida who had his direct cell phone number on a clinical trial website. As soon as I recorded his contact information, my mom called him immediately. Long story short, he said that my mom was in fact a perfect candidate for his trial that is actually treating retinal eye diseases like hers. Finally, a solution that my family and I have been waiting for.

Here's where it gets interesting that involves a little more waiting... My family and I are responsible for coming up with a pretty penny that I wish we could dish out without a problem but that is not the case. My parents are always helping their family and friends but this time, it's our turn. 

My mother has a lot of living left to do... and most importantly, my baby sister to raise.  I've been holding my mom's hand since I was a baby directing our way and I would do it for as long as I'm alive. I have cried in front of my mom beside her but she can't see me because of her vision. I have been driving before I was allowed to because of the legal age limit , grocery shopping and reading our mail. My mom has an exceptional brain and could've pursued her dream of becoming an attorney  if her vision hadn't held her back. 

This experience has changed me into a more mature, humble and caring person. I am very grateful but the more I get to grow from my mother's life and change yet see her regress breaks my heart. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that her vision is the only thing impairing her from what God created us to do.. Live. Millions of people take their health for granted but without it, we have nothing. Being trapped inside your own body is not fair and the fact that we could save her with this treatment is unheard of and God sent.

I know that life is not fair but when you have an opportunity to change it, you take it. Please help me save my mom. I was not raised to beg for anything. In fact, I was raised to always give and lend out a hand so today, I am only asking that you recognize a loving daughter who just wants her mother to be able to live a normal life and read a good book and drive my sister to school or to the prom and go to the beach to pick up a sea shell from the sand because she hasn't seen something that pretty in a while. May God bless all of you and leave you in good health. Pass it forward. <3