Many of you who know Rochelle and Steve are familiar with the newest addition to their family, Canyon Clark Brown. It is likely that you also know that sweet baby Canyon was born with a unilateral visually significant cataract, that required a lensectomy surgery at one month of age. Due to the medically urgent nature of his diagnosis, he has since undergone the lensectomy and was cleared of possible cancer behind the cataract. So far Canyon is recovering and responding very well due to all of the care that his amazing parents, Rochelle & Steve provide (strict eye drop routine, shielding the eye, patching the eye, putting in and taking out contacts, ensuring eye glass usage).

Here are some details that you may not know. This surgery was critical for Canyon as it was the first big step in possible sight restoration, and to confirm there wasn’t any sign of a mass or cancer behind the cataract. He is expected to have some vision in his right eye but will be using contacts and glasses his whole life, and will likely have many more surgeries in his future. Doing their best to navigate health insurance (which is hard enough without a pandemic) Rochelle & Steve used the Doctors and facilities that were referred and were told were in their network. However, their healthcare provider informed them, the day before surgery, that the lensectomy would not be covered. This was very discouraging but they decided to move forward with the surgery as the Doctor confirmed one month of age was the best possible scenario in restoring vision in the eye. Canyon had already received the Covid test and multiple people, including Canyon’s Doctors, assured Rochelle & Steve that an appeal would be a difficult but successful route. Rochelle accepted the challenge knowing it would be a lot of work – including emails, paperwork, acquiring medical necessity letters from multiple Doctors, and never ending phone calls. After two denied appeals, it appears Canyon’s parents are going to be financially responsible for the surgery and all visits associated with Canyon’s eye care. What started out as a very scary time for any parent of an infant, has now become a financial burden that will follow for years to come. 

In the increasingly unlikely event that Canyon’s surgery gets appealed and covered by insurance, any funds will be used towards his recovery (frequent appointments, future surgery(s), daily eye drops, daily eye patches, contacts, glasses).

This has been a crazy hard year but, we get by with a little help from our friends. Knowing Rochelle & Steve avoid asking for help (especially financial) from friends or family, I (Danica) set up this fundraiser to help support them in this difficult time. I know I am not alone in wanting to do what I can to help them. Please feel free to contribute whatever you are able, every little bit helps! Thank you so much for your time and support. It is hard to anticipate how much life will throw at you, but it is nice to know that you are not alone. <3

If you would like to follow Canyon’s Recovery, and learn more about his story, please follow him on Instagram @Adventures_of_Nyon