Save My Vision : Domenic Centofanti
Donation protected
My name is Domenic. I'm 44 years old and have been blessed with an amazing wife (Danielle) and two beautiful children, Isabella (16) and Gavin (14).
As many of you know, this past year has had its fair share of challenges for my family and I, especially regarding the health of my wife and I. Danielle had to have an emergency surgery in September and another surgery just this past week after being diagnosed with endometriosis. On July 1, 2015, I was diagnosed with type I diabetes and took my first insulin shot. It has been a struggle, but we are adapting to a new lifestyle.
Over the past six months, I have been to several eye doctors, ophthalmologists, cornea and retinal specialists and surgeons after experiencing vision issues very different than I had ever experienced before. After dozens of tests and a handful of appointments later, it was determined that I have cataracts in both eyes as well as a rare eye disease called keratoconus ; slowly progressive thinning of the cornea causes it to protrude forward in a conical shape, leading to blurry vision and other vision problems. Doctors are unsure of how someone gets keratoconus, although it has been linked to genetics and/or excessive rubbing of the eyes. The cataracts is in its infancy and is mild but is expected to get worse as I age. This was most likely caused from an unexpected spike in my sugar levels through the months of June and July this year which elevated my diabetes to type I. I will eventually have to have surgery for this, but for now it's on hold due to the more urgent issue of keratoconus.
Two months ago, I tried getting fitted with special contacts with hope that this would help my vision , but after months of trial and error and tweaks to the contacts, they did not work. I continue to see blurry and what I can best describe as triple vision (yes, three of everything) and severe haloing of lights. My glasses still help me see, but the degeneration of my corneas has quickly put me in a state of uncertainly moving forward. I have noticed an extreme change to my vision at night and have become so unsure of myself during night driving that I try to avoid it at all costs.
There is only one treatment currently that completely stops the disease from worsening. It's a procedure called corneal collagen cross-linking . This procedure involves pealing back the cornea of the eye and applying liquid riboflavin (vitamin B2) to the surface of the eye, followed by treatment with a controlled application of ultraviolet light. Even though this procedure was developed in Germany and has been performed in Europe since the late 1980's with incredibly positive results, it has not yet been FDA approved here in the United States and therefore, not covered by insurance. There are currently only a handful of research facilities doing this procedure here in the US.
Most of you also know my life has been filled with a love for photography and filmmaking in which I've had a successful career. My eyesight is vital to me continuing to pursue my passion, and the livelihood of my family. We live a modest life, but it's a happy life because we've put Jesus Christ first and foremost in our lives. I want to continue with my career that is now in jeopardy because of this disease. The news of this disease has been devastating, but my family and I remain hopeful that we will raise enough money to cover the costs surrounding this procedure is desperately needed to stop the deterioration of my eyesight.
Outside of a miracle from God (which we are praying for everyday), the goal over the next three weeks is to raise enough money to cover the cost of the surgical procedure and related expenses of travel to Chicago and subsequent follow up appointments. We have been buried with medical deductibles and costs already this year and unofortunately need cash upfront to pay for the procedure to restore my eyesight, which is not covered by insurance. My procedure is currently scheduled on Monday, January 11, 2016 at Chicago Cornea Consultants .
Please consider giving to this cause today and helping restore my eyesight. Any amount will help us. On behalf of my wife and children, we thank you for your gift to help make this possible, and may God bless you ten-fold for your generosity.
As many of you know, this past year has had its fair share of challenges for my family and I, especially regarding the health of my wife and I. Danielle had to have an emergency surgery in September and another surgery just this past week after being diagnosed with endometriosis. On July 1, 2015, I was diagnosed with type I diabetes and took my first insulin shot. It has been a struggle, but we are adapting to a new lifestyle.
Over the past six months, I have been to several eye doctors, ophthalmologists, cornea and retinal specialists and surgeons after experiencing vision issues very different than I had ever experienced before. After dozens of tests and a handful of appointments later, it was determined that I have cataracts in both eyes as well as a rare eye disease called keratoconus ; slowly progressive thinning of the cornea causes it to protrude forward in a conical shape, leading to blurry vision and other vision problems. Doctors are unsure of how someone gets keratoconus, although it has been linked to genetics and/or excessive rubbing of the eyes. The cataracts is in its infancy and is mild but is expected to get worse as I age. This was most likely caused from an unexpected spike in my sugar levels through the months of June and July this year which elevated my diabetes to type I. I will eventually have to have surgery for this, but for now it's on hold due to the more urgent issue of keratoconus.
Two months ago, I tried getting fitted with special contacts with hope that this would help my vision , but after months of trial and error and tweaks to the contacts, they did not work. I continue to see blurry and what I can best describe as triple vision (yes, three of everything) and severe haloing of lights. My glasses still help me see, but the degeneration of my corneas has quickly put me in a state of uncertainly moving forward. I have noticed an extreme change to my vision at night and have become so unsure of myself during night driving that I try to avoid it at all costs.
There is only one treatment currently that completely stops the disease from worsening. It's a procedure called corneal collagen cross-linking . This procedure involves pealing back the cornea of the eye and applying liquid riboflavin (vitamin B2) to the surface of the eye, followed by treatment with a controlled application of ultraviolet light. Even though this procedure was developed in Germany and has been performed in Europe since the late 1980's with incredibly positive results, it has not yet been FDA approved here in the United States and therefore, not covered by insurance. There are currently only a handful of research facilities doing this procedure here in the US.
Most of you also know my life has been filled with a love for photography and filmmaking in which I've had a successful career. My eyesight is vital to me continuing to pursue my passion, and the livelihood of my family. We live a modest life, but it's a happy life because we've put Jesus Christ first and foremost in our lives. I want to continue with my career that is now in jeopardy because of this disease. The news of this disease has been devastating, but my family and I remain hopeful that we will raise enough money to cover the costs surrounding this procedure is desperately needed to stop the deterioration of my eyesight.
Outside of a miracle from God (which we are praying for everyday), the goal over the next three weeks is to raise enough money to cover the cost of the surgical procedure and related expenses of travel to Chicago and subsequent follow up appointments. We have been buried with medical deductibles and costs already this year and unofortunately need cash upfront to pay for the procedure to restore my eyesight, which is not covered by insurance. My procedure is currently scheduled on Monday, January 11, 2016 at Chicago Cornea Consultants .
Please consider giving to this cause today and helping restore my eyesight. Any amount will help us. On behalf of my wife and children, we thank you for your gift to help make this possible, and may God bless you ten-fold for your generosity.
Organizer
Domenic Centofanti
Organizer
Muncie, IN
