My daughter Alanis is a bright, talented, and kind little girl who always lightens up your day with her laughter. One of her favorite things to do is draw and she wants to be an artist when she grows up. Unfortunately, Alanis has a form of Strabismus called Accommodative Esotropia. This means her right eye goes inward. Recently, we were informed that she can also possibly lose her eyesight. She was diagnosed when she was four years old (she's 10 now) and was prescribed glasses to help with her vision and eye movement. The glasses did help and it seemed like the problem would be corrected.

As she got older, her ophthalmologist changed her prescription to an even higher one, and I figured the doctor knew what she was doing. However, about two years ago I noticed that her eye was going inward again, so I decided to take her for another checkup. The doctor simply said she would need another prescription, a higher one yet again. That's when I felt something was wrong and thought that maybe Alanis wasn't getting the best treatment. I had read about strabismus and found out that in some cases surgery or other procedures are needed. So I searched for another specialist to get a second opinion.

Since specialists require authorizations from insurance providers, I had to pay out of pocket to see another ophthalmologist, but that was fine as long as she was seen by someone else. I came across a clinic in Irvine, which is an hour away from us, but the doctor there seemed extremely knowledgeable in her practice. She made me feel much more comfortable and let me know exactly what was wrong and what was needed. As I predicted, the glasses were not going to help with Alanis' condition anymore. Her eye muscle had weakened and that is why her eye continues to go in. She will require surgery to help the nerve and fix the eye movement.

I immediately contacted the insurance company to tell them I wanted a change of specialist. However, the doctor I requested was not in network. I spoke to a couple of representatives and no one really knew how to help me. It was a stressful process and nothing got done in the end. Eventually time went by, but I recently took her to that new ophthalmologist again because I can't let time keep passing by without doing something about it. She treated Alanis and explained the surgery to us again. Things have gotten a little worse over time. Alanis sometimes sees double and the doctor said that if the condition isn't treated soon, she can lose sight in her right eye completely. As a mother, hearing those words crushed me. It hurt even more to hear my daughter cry and ask "why can't I just see normal?" I can't bear the thought of her losing her sight.

Alanis has a different insurance now that is provided by her father's employer, but it still doesn't cover the visits because again, the doctor is not in network. I had called them myself to ask if I could request the medical group that the doctor is in, which they said yes to, but that was not the case when I received her insurance card. Once more, I was back to calling different people left and right, but it was either no answer or bad news. I grew very frustrated and I just don't understand why this has to be so complicated. I know that I could probably go with the specialist that is provided by the insurance, but I've already gone that route before, and it led me to a doctor that was only going to continue changing her glasses with no actual solution. I'm scared to start over and not find the right doctor that I can trust. After all, this is my daughter's sight on the line and I want the best possible treatment for her. I've already done my research and found a doctor that specializes in her condition and has treated children for years with nothing but positive reviews from other patients.

Since I am having no luck with insurance, my options are to purchase an individual medical plan or pay out of pocket. The individual plan won't cover the entire surgery anyway, only a small percentage, IF any at all, so the total cost would still be around the same amount. However, time is of the essence and I don't want to keep waiting knowing that her condition can only worsen. So we have decided to go through with the surgery by paying for it out of pocket as soon as possible. The doctor estimated the total to be around $5,500-$6,000. It would mean the world to us if we could get your help to achieve this goal, absolutely anything helps. Despite this problem, Alanis still excels in reading and writing and I am so proud of her. She also doesn't let it stop her from doing what she loves the most, drawing. I just want my daughter to continue pursuing her dream and not worry about losing her eyesight. We are immensely grateful for your help, thank you!