Hello, my name is Lauren and I will be running this page's fundraising efforts for my son, to help support his fight against retinal disease.

Austin is an energetic, intelligent, kind, and affectionate four year old boy. He loves hot wheels, lego, marvel superheroes, dogs, playing sports, cooking, the outdoors, and playing with his friends. His favourite shows are Marvel Super Hero Adventures and Bluey.

About four months ago, we noticed Austin was struggling with his vision and had involuntary eye movement (known as nystagmus). There were numerous appointments with his pediatrician, pediatric opthalmologist, and pediatric neurologist.

We learned that his eye scans revealed abnormalities in both retinas. The pediatric ophthalmologist advised that based on his scans, Austin has a type of retinal disease called retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa ultimately results in complete vision loss, causing blindness. There is no cure for this type of retinal disease.

This has all happened rather quickly. All of the testing, procedures, and treatments required that cannot be offered in the province of Saskatchewan. For example, Austin requires a procedure called electroretinography, which is an invasive procedure to measure the electrical activity of the retina and will diagnose the severity and current vision loss. This procedure can only be offered in Edmonton, Alberta or Toronto, Ontario. In addition to the above, Austin will need gene therapy which may help slow the progression of his condition. Drugs associated to gene therapy, have not always been covered and come with a hefty price tag.

After a three year divorce proceeding involving substantial legal fees that remains ongoing, the financial pressure of repeated out of province travel and all associated costs are a real concern. Travel expenses have added up rather quickly already just travelling within Saskatchewan.

The funds from the page will go directly to Austin, specifically towards: travel expenses (fuel, meals, flights, etc), accomodation for all testing/procedures, costs of testing and procedures, visual aids or prosthetics, drugs/supportive care, and to offset any costs related to his condition.

This is a devastating reality for our family. We are heartbroken because of this prognosis. If you are unable to place a donation, consider sharing on your social media platforms to raise awareness for Austin's cause, and families affected by retinal disease.