Hello, friends and community! My name is Kristen Colenda-Bartlett, and many of you may know me as the Spring Market Store Director and a proud Winters, Texas resident since 2013. I’m reaching out today with a request for help as I face a challenging health journey.

In October 2024, after experiencing a series of eye inflammations, I was diagnosed with diabetes and advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), a condition that threatens my vision and can lead to blindness in diabetics. Despite undergoing six laser surgeries to stop the hemorrhaging in both eyes, the damage has progressed. The most recent surgery left me with scar tissue in my right eye, causing my retina to detach and leaving me with only about 10% vision in that eye. Unfortunately, my left eye is likely to follow.

The next step in my treatment is a vitrectomy, a procedure that could help reattach my retina and preserve what vision I have left. However, this is just one part of a long road ahead. Both my husband, Gregory Bartlett, and I will need to take time off work to travel for doctor appointments, and the costs for treatments, surgeries, and living expenses are adding up quickly.

I’m asking for your support during this difficult time. Whether you can donate, share this post with your network, or send prayers and positive thoughts, anything would be greatly appreciated. Your kindness means the world to us as we navigate these tough circumstances.

Thank you so much for your love, support, and generosity.