A special and timely fundraiser!

*** December 17th, 2024, it was a SUCCESS!!!  ***

Erica underwent surgery Dec 12th and her cataracts were removed and new lenses were inserted.  She woke up and immediately could see.  It was just amazing and only possible due to the gracious donations from family and friends.  

She still has a journey of healing that will take a month or so and then continual checkups to make sure the lenses are not rejected and to ensure they don't become infected.  

Additionally she has a learning journey that we have started to build a path towards.  To catch up in school we will be providing a tutor over the Christmas break and possibly even longer until she can catch up with her age group in school.  We are also covering some of her expenses so she can live with her older sister who lives much closer to the Rural Health Unit Clinic.  Erica May will need glasses in a few months but as her eyes grow to maturity her vision will increase and the need for glasses will decrease.  

Here are some quotes (translated from Visayan to English) we have heard along the way.

"Its raining, I can see it and its flooding on top of the roof." first day looking outside her hospital window.

"That's a goat, and that's a pile of garbage, I can see it." in the van ride from Legazpi to the port.

"Ate, I can see now, I can see waves on the ocean!" what she said when she got home and saw her older sister for the first time.

She also has become very interested in counting things, seems it all makes a lot more sense now.  Probably more importantly she is able to play with the other children for the first time in her life.

Thanks again for all the emotional and financial support, we couldn't have done this without you.  More detailed posts of the surgery and the journey are on our Facebook page, here are some of the links. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18HvjV9h7x/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/182F6oBjQW/ 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18cvT3QFpe/

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Friends & Family, Linda and I are personally covering some of this expense (please read below) but could use some help.
 

We are working to raise $5,000 and need to do it in the next 2-3 weeks so we can maintain a schedule that would allow a little girl, Erica May, to see her Christmas for the first time. Please donate through Venmo if you can as it automates the tax forms for your donation automatically.

https://www.venmo.com/u/PacificReefsPeople 

To donate using PayPal please use this link:  

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LC2GWDTYMP6WN
 

In 2018, Sylvia the amazing volunteer Optometrist, identified her at 2-yrs old as a candidate for surgery to correct her vision and allow her to see. The community was unable to raise the funds or identify a solution and then Covid locked down each island and this was deemed unachievable. During the May 2024 Global First Responder -Pacific Reefs & People Initiative Medical Mission Erica May was re-identified and we have taken her case on. She and her 4 siblings live with their mother and father who work as sharecroppers cultivating copra. Erica May has not been able to attend school which she should have started at 6-yrs old.
 

This past week, Nov 8th in the Philippines, Erica May saw a Pediatric Ophthalmologist for the first time. It was a 5-hr journey from Batuan and she was accompanied by her older sister and an extended family member with travel knowledge. The great news is Erica May has been identified as a candidate for a lensectomy to allow her to see for the first time in her life and it could be accomplished before Christmas if funds are available.
 

The surgery would be accomplished in Manila (24hrs away), or possibly Legazpi, and would take only 1-day but would require a 3-day stay before traveling home and possibly require follow up appointments.
 

The expenses are estimated to be $3,500 for the surgery (surgeon, purchasing the least expensive lenses, and associated medical supplies.) Travel expenses, food and lodging would be $1,000 for Erica May, her mom, and someone familiar with travel outside the small island they live on. If we raise more than $5,000 we would be able to afford higher quality implant lenses as there are quality levels of what can be used. These estimated costs include the use of PhilHealth and DSWD (kind of like our US BlueCross/BlueShield) which covers some of the expense.
 

Thank you for donating what you can, I will update as the amount raised goes up each day. Below is basic medical info to explain what this brave little girl will be going through.
 

If you use the Venmo link then the charity donation form will be sent to you for your tax deduction. 

https://www.venmo.com/u/PacificReefsPeople

-or-

To donate using PayPal please use this link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LC2GWDTYMP6WN

-or-

Make Checks Payable to:
Pacific Reef & People Initiative

Note: Erica May

And then mail to:
Central Bank of Boone County
Attention: Relationship Banking M-14
PO Box 678
Columbia Mo, 65205-9983
 

Wikipedia Congenital cataract Disorder are a lens opacity that is present at birth. Congenital cataracts occur in a broad range of severity. Some lens opacities do not progress and are visually insignificant, others can produce profound visual impairment. Congenital cataracts may be unilateral or bilateral. They can be classified by morphology, presumed or defined genetic cause, presence of specific metabolic disorders, or associated ocular anomalies or systemic findings. Treatment options depend on the severity of the condition. For children under the age of two years old whose vision is affected by cataracts in both eyes, surgical options include intraocular lens implantation or a lensectomy. Congenital cataracts are considered to be a significant cause of childhood blindness.
 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/25110-eye-lens-replacement What is eye lens replacement? Eye lens replacement is an outpatient surgery in which an ophthalmologist removes your eye’s natural lens and implants an intraocular lens (IOL) in its place to improve your vision. Your natural lens is a clear structure located behind your pupil. Your lens helps focus light as it enters your eye so it lands properly on your retina, allowing you to see the world around you. An IOL is a clear artificial lens (made of acrylic or silicone) that serves this same purpose. Eye lens replacement surgery is a general term that refers to two specific types of procedures: Cataract surgery. Refractive lens exchange.