Elijah's fight to be a soldier
Donation protected
In August of 2016, my son Elijah made one of the best decisions of his life and joined the military in order to serve his country. He worked hard to graduate from Basic Combat Training (BCT) and we were hopeful that he was just beginning his long journey as a US Soldier. His future seemed very bright. A few days after graduating BCT, Elijah was diagnosed with the degenerative eye disease of Keratoconus which disqualified him from continuing his career in the Army. To our disappointment, they sent him home a month and a half later ending his time in the service and ending the dreams he had to serve.
Keratoconus is a rare degenerative eye disorder that causes the normally domed shaped cornea to thin and bulge into a cone shape. This results in distortion of vision, increased sensitivity to glare/light, and reduction of visual acuity.
There is no cure for Keratoconus. If left untreated, his eyesight will deteriorate to the point where he will become legally blind and need a corneal transplant. If treated, however, the disease can be stopped and his eyesight can be saved. There is also a possibility that if the disease is treated, that he may be able to get a waiver to rejoin the US Army and continue to be a soldier.
Corneal crosslinking is the procedure that would strengthen his corneal tissue and stop the progression of the disease. Corneal cross-linking involves infusing the cornea with riboflavin, vitamin B-12, and ultraviolet light.
Our FDA has approved corneal cross-linking as a treatment but most insurance companies still will not cover the cost of the procedure. The cost for both eyes is $5000.
Because time is of the essence to stop this disease, we are reaching out for help. We could save the $5000 over the course of a year or two, however, during this time his vision will have diminished significantly. Elijah is already seeing a deterioration in his sight, experiencing headaches and sensitivity to light.
If you can spare any amount to help my very brave son retain his eye sight and possibly regain his future in the military, we will be forever grateful.
Thanks so much for your kindness and support.
Help spread the word!
Keratoconus is a rare degenerative eye disorder that causes the normally domed shaped cornea to thin and bulge into a cone shape. This results in distortion of vision, increased sensitivity to glare/light, and reduction of visual acuity.
There is no cure for Keratoconus. If left untreated, his eyesight will deteriorate to the point where he will become legally blind and need a corneal transplant. If treated, however, the disease can be stopped and his eyesight can be saved. There is also a possibility that if the disease is treated, that he may be able to get a waiver to rejoin the US Army and continue to be a soldier.
Corneal crosslinking is the procedure that would strengthen his corneal tissue and stop the progression of the disease. Corneal cross-linking involves infusing the cornea with riboflavin, vitamin B-12, and ultraviolet light.
Our FDA has approved corneal cross-linking as a treatment but most insurance companies still will not cover the cost of the procedure. The cost for both eyes is $5000.
Because time is of the essence to stop this disease, we are reaching out for help. We could save the $5000 over the course of a year or two, however, during this time his vision will have diminished significantly. Elijah is already seeing a deterioration in his sight, experiencing headaches and sensitivity to light.
If you can spare any amount to help my very brave son retain his eye sight and possibly regain his future in the military, we will be forever grateful.
Thanks so much for your kindness and support.
Help spread the word!
Give $25 to help get this fundraiser to its goal
Organizer
Jocelyn Harvey
Organizer
Rocky Hill, CT
