Help Our Step-Mom Regain Her Sight
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L to R: Oldest sister Audrey, stepmom Kathy, middle sister Teresa, our mom Anita, and youngest sister Anne.We met our stepmom Kathy Tensen (from Teutopolis, IL) when we were 10, 13, and 16 years old. From the first moment we were introduced, she was so bubbly and deeply kind, so naturally as kids, we were skeptical (haha).
Coming into the tough role of a stepmother, Kathy never wavered in her patience with getting to know three busy teenage girls. Kathy would always wrap us up in big, warm hugs when we came to visit her and our dad, and we always felt so welcomed and loved. Christmas is her favorite holiday, and boy did we get all the fun toys, good food, and of course the classic smell of holiday candles constantly filling the house. Kathy loved us unconditionally and quickly became a second mother to all three of us.
Kathy was born with congenital cataracts and congenital glaucoma, and discovered this after being diagnosed as a young child. At an eye appointment at 41, the doctors told her she could either see clearly for another 3 years, after which her sight would probably be gone forever, or she could have another surgery and possibly extend that about 10 years.
At this time, Kathy and our dad just had their second child together, and she wanted to be able to see as much of her children’s lives as she could. The strength it takes to make a choice like this with two very young children to raise is unimaginable. Of course, no one knew at the time how much of her sight would actually be gone. Instead of 10 years, or even 3 years, she lost complete sight in her left eye from that first surgery and has never regained any of it. Her right eye has had cornea transplants and continual issues, and as of today, she has 0% sight in her left eye and only 10% sight in her right.
Throughout our teens, 20s, and now 30s, Kathy has always been someone we turn to for advice, for many laughs, for a good cry, and to help make sense of life. Without question our lives would not be the same without her. No matter what she’s going through, she’s always been there for us when we need her, and we can’t even express how invaluable and unique that kind of love is. She’s our step-mother and she’s our friend.
Kathy has had many eye surgeries since that first one in 2005, some more successful than others. These surgeries were to try and maintain what little sight she had left, which has continued to deteriorate over the past 15 years.
So much more than just her physical sight was lost. Her independence was stolen, she couldn’t drive anymore, she couldn’t easily go see friends or go shopping or get groceries for her family on her own. A million simple tasks were instantly difficult. When the family moved to a new town a state away, it was nearly impossible to create new friendships. She was suddenly treated differently by people who didn’t understand, without even trying to get to know one of the most wonderful people someone could ever meet. Her entire world and possibilities for life were yanked away basically overnight.
And all through this, you know what? She’s still an amazing, strong, beautiful, kind, compassionate woman. Her children, our brother and sister, are now 18 and 16 respectively, and she truly couldn’t have done a better job raising them. She also became a grandma for the first time with Audrey's daughter, and Kathy just beams every time she's around her granddaughter.
Kathy recently brought to our attention an eye surgery that has had massive success. It’s a surgery that focuses on using stem cells. She researched the clinic in Ft. Lauderdale, and talked with her doctors in Indianapolis to find out if the surgery made sense for her situation. It turns out her doctor referred three people to the same clinic.
Kathy filled out the application, gathered all of her medical records, and sent everything to Florida with her fingers crossed. Some people who go through this procedure are seeing a 50-70% increase in sight. This would be LIFE CHANGING for Kathy and we are thrilled to share she was approved for surgery just last week, at the end of September!
The surgery is considered experimental, which means that her insurance company will not cover the procedure (and only a small chance of covering the minimal pre-operative expenses). This is why we are on GoFundMe – to raise the upfront funds needed to help Kathy regain her sight. The next available slot for this procedure is very soon (pushed back from October 20th) – November 3, 2020 and we are aiming to be completely funded before then. This is the breakdown of expenses for the surgery:
Stem Cell Procedure: $14,500
Pre-Operative Costs: $400
Travel, Meal, Lodging Expenses for two people from Illinois to Florida for a week: $2500
Grand Total: $17,400
With any medical procedure there are risks, but with the high rate of success at this clinic, we are very hopeful this will completely change Kathy’s life and help her regain a lot of what she’s lost.
While we (Audrey and Anne) wanted to share everything above, Kathy has a few words to say about what this surgery really means for her:
“I don’t know what my children look like. I can just see rough shapes. I don’t know what my step-daughters look like anymore either, I’m just working off of memory there. The one thing I want before I die is to see my children’s faces clearly just once. And of course, my granddaughter Linnea.”
Organizer
Anne Woods
Organizer
Effingham, IL
