Help Restore Toni's Vision

FOR ONCE, Toni is in need of help! If you’re reading this you no doubt must have met or crossed paths with Toni in some way, shape or form, and if that’s the case you must know what a saint she is! Patient, caring and selfless she has ALWAYS put her needs behind everyone else’s. A devoted mother, nonna, wife, aunt, daughter, sister-in-law, friend, and hairstylist, she’s been a local therapist to all those who have sat in her chair, and is a treasure to all of her family and friends alike.

She’s always managed to throw a smile on her face in her darkest days, a calming voice of reason cutting through the dense fray, she will always pick up her phone and be there for anyone else in a heartbeat. It took a little convincing to get Miss Toni on board with graciously accepting help back for once from all those who love her dearly, but we’ve made it & boy could she use some help. Toni has been battling nanophthalmos for her entire life, a rare genetic disease that causes small eyes due to impaired ocular growth. Since 2002 her struggle has only gotten more difficult, as she underwent many procedures and corneal transplants. These surgeries left Toni still battling tremendously high eye pressure, loss of vision and countless doctor visits with little help or result. Her 4th and last surgery in 2021, was another attempted and failed corneal transplant which resulted in a violent eye hemorrhage. This left her totally blind in her left eye and needing a prosthetic. She has done her best to live with one good eye, managing doctor appointment after doctor appointment to find a delicate balance of medication for her remaining eye, and seek out the best possible solution (and doctor) for the inevitable job: operating on her only working eye as last resort. She has reached that last resort and is now in need of immediate cataract surgery to save whatever eyesight she has left.

Toni will be undergoing a specialized cataract surgery on a nanophthalmic eye, coupled with several other specialized procedures needing to be done ASAP! Out of the three qualified doctors that she has found in the US, (and one in Canada) she has found the most qualified Doctor with the most experience in her very rare condition and case. He has given her and her family the most hope for restoring sight to her remaining eye and giving her a chance at life as she knew it again. She is currently working hard to schedule her surgery and coordinate with her surgeon, retina specialist, and of course the facility and anesthesiologist while preparing for what could be the end of any eyesight whatsoever.

Finding the best surgeon for the job in this case yielded a doctor and situation that does not fully accept insurance, and the significant expense and difficulties will not stop at the surgery itself. The road will be long and winding, but as always with community, family and friends standing by her side, we all believe she can overcome this challenging scenario with our help and support. Toni has always sought to pay it forward, bringing a cheerful, helpful, and supportive attitude along to anyone around her who has also needed help. Toni is no stranger to her community in raising money and awareness for many others, as well as many causes such as suicide prevention, an annual scholarship fund for a Riverhead High School student in Honor of her late son Frankie, St Jude, and many others.

Her close friends, her work family, her immediate family, and all of those who love her dearly immediately thought to raise money ~ as well as raise Toni’s hope and spirits as she embarks on this frightening journey. WE on behalf of SHE, humbly and respectfully ask that if you can support in any small way, and are inclined to do so, it would mean everything to her and her family. Your support, prayers, and any donations you might be able to spare, will be graciously accepted and used to get Toni’s vision restored so that she can get back into action caring for everyone else again!