Claudia's Campaign for The Glaucoma Foundation

For those who may not know, Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.

Currently, it is affecting roughly 80 million people around the world, and by 2040, that number is predicted to rise to 111 million. A little over 2 years ago, my Mom became one of the 80 million. 

For those of you who have not been fortunate enough to meet my mom, she is resilient, self-driven and kindhearted. She has touched the hearts of so many and for the past 20+ years, has dedicated her time and energy to children with special needs.

She has shaped me and my brothers into who we are today, and we could not have asked for a better mom.  She is my rock, my best friend and she means everything to me. 


This is her story:

"You will be blind within the next 5 years" were the harsh words that were spoken to my mom as she sat in the examination chair back in 2017. What was supposed to be a routine eye exam for reading glasses turned into an everlasting, life-altering moment.

We tend to take for granted the little things in life, not realizing how important they are until they are gone. We are all used to waking up to the sound of our alarms, opening our eyes, ready to take on the day ahead of us -- but what if one day, you woke up and all you saw was darkness? 

For my mom, this has now become a chilling, everyday thought. The unknowns of how severe this was, how far along her eyesight had been damaged, the unfathomable what "ifs" had fully consumed her day-to-days.

90% of my Mother's optic nerve is gone in her right eye, a little less within her left, which is something that is  irreversible and will never be restored. Glaucoma, which is also an extremely hereditary disease, runs in my family— so along with my mother, her father, also suffers from it as well.

So for my mom, after seeing a multitude of doctors, gaining lots of second and third opinions, she was referred to Dr. Robert Ritch. Dr. Robert Ritch founded the Glaucoma Center at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1983 to bring increased awareness into the diagnosis and treatment of this common blinding disease. With Doctors like Robert Ritch, it gives my mom and our family hope that she will be able to hold onto her sight forever. 

Dr. Ritch, has kept my Mother's beautiful blue eyes stable and continues to research and work towards ensuring she will never go a day without sight.  

Dr. Ritch , along with the many Ophthalmologists who study with and under him, are constantly striving towards new scientific breakthroughs to find a cure. The amount of money needed to keep research steady and evolving is not nearly match by the amount being brought in. When I was provided with this information, I decided that I needed to get involved and help fundraise for a cause that is so important and close to my heart. 


Please help me support The Glaucoma Foundation and my beautiful mother  as well as my grandpa by making a donation through my page. Together, the Cure to this disease is in sight and together, we can find a cure for glaucoma.