Bhavik's Travel Fund: Coats Disease
Donation protected
Two weeks ago the Curing Coats Fundraiser(www.curingcoatsfundraiser.com) held its annual event to raise funds for the research into Coats Disease at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. That same day I was contacted by Alok Thathera from India. His beautiful son, Bhavik, had been diagnosed with Coats Disease and was told that there was nothing the doctors in India could do to help him. Frustrated, he reached out to me to see if my sons Doctors could look at his case and see if there was any hope for him. The Wilmer felt that he should come for treatment and an appointment has been set for November 27th at Hopkins.
Coats Disease is a fast moving rare eye disease that causes the blood vessels in the eye to leak causing blindness usually associated with retinal detachment. If Coats is not treated with surgery, the chances of loosing the eye goes up drastically. In some rare cases, vision can be improved or restored, if treatment is provided quickly. Please visit the above site for more disease information.
At this point our community has come together and figured out housing, food and warm clothes for the family when they arrive. We will also be helping with transportation and any other issues that come up during their stay.
We are faced with the task of raising funds for the families travel expenses to and from India. We are looking to raise $6,000 so the Mom, Dad and Son can travel together. Any little bit helps! This is a short fundraiser as we only have a few weeks to make this happen!
If you are in the Clarksville, MD area and would like to help in any other way, please be in touch. We will need drivers, hosts, warm clothes, etc.
*The family is currently working on securing their Visas and other paperwork so they can travel to the United States. In the case that they are not able to get a Visa, the funds donated will go directly to The Wilmer Eye Institutes Coats Disease Research Fund. We will confirm proof of the Visas before funds are released.*
Coats Disease is a fast moving rare eye disease that causes the blood vessels in the eye to leak causing blindness usually associated with retinal detachment. If Coats is not treated with surgery, the chances of loosing the eye goes up drastically. In some rare cases, vision can be improved or restored, if treatment is provided quickly. Please visit the above site for more disease information.
At this point our community has come together and figured out housing, food and warm clothes for the family when they arrive. We will also be helping with transportation and any other issues that come up during their stay.
We are faced with the task of raising funds for the families travel expenses to and from India. We are looking to raise $6,000 so the Mom, Dad and Son can travel together. Any little bit helps! This is a short fundraiser as we only have a few weeks to make this happen!
If you are in the Clarksville, MD area and would like to help in any other way, please be in touch. We will need drivers, hosts, warm clothes, etc.
*The family is currently working on securing their Visas and other paperwork so they can travel to the United States. In the case that they are not able to get a Visa, the funds donated will go directly to The Wilmer Eye Institutes Coats Disease Research Fund. We will confirm proof of the Visas before funds are released.*
Organizer
Barbara Sorensen Smole
Organizer
Clarksville, MD