Help Save Caroline's Sight!

I’d like you to meet Caroline, a quiet sensitive 4 year old. Her favorite companion Pink Bear goes with her everywhere. She has an “Irish twin” little brother Ty that is her constant playmate. She loves kitties and likes talking in her meow language when she is feeling shy. Caroline is a beautiful child of God whom we love and wish the best that life has to offer.

Caroline has a hemangioma, commonly called a strawberry birthmark on her right lower eye lid that needs to be removed to prevent long term damage to her eyesight. This Go-Fund-Me effort has the goal of raising $3,000  to assist with medical insurance co-payments and travel expenses for Caroline to receive state of the art laser treatment to remove the hemangioma

A hemangioma is a benign tumor formed by a collection of excess blood vessels, present at birth; most of these disappear within a few months or years. But Caroline’s hemangioma began enlarging and by age three it became apparent that treatment was needed to prevent problems with the sight in her right eye.

The local doctors and specialists have been consulted. The most common treatments were prescribed. Caroline had a severe reaction to the oral medication prescribed to shrink the tumor and this medication was stopped. Steroid injection of the tumor under anesthesia had the opposite of the desired effect and it continues to enlarge. These doctors are very reluctant to undertake the very delicate procedure required for surgical removal of the tumor citing numerous risks. In essence, they can offer no additional treatment. At this time Caroline’s eyesight is so compromised by the tumor that she now wears glasses.

Caroline’s mother was not going to accept this fate for her daughter and began searching the wider medical community for someone specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of hemangioma.
She connected with the Vascular Birthmark Institute in NYC and emailed Caroline’s picture and story to the Director of the Institute. Within 24 hours Dr. Milton Waner called Caroline’s parents to get more information about her condition and offered to treat Caroline and remove the hemangioma with state of the art laser surgery at the Institute in New York. When Caroline's mother expressed concern about being able to afford travel to NY, Dr. Waner referred her to his colleague Dr. Gresham Richter, Director of the Vascular Abnormality Center at Arkansas Children's. Dr. Richter was contacted and he too offered the same state of the art treatment. Caroline’s lower eye lid may require reconstruction after the tumor is removed. If necessary, this would require an additional procedure at a later time.

There are many factors to consider with regards to what is best for Caroline's treatment; out of state travel and lodging, detailed scheduling, time away from work. All factors will have an impact on family finances. Decisions are being prayerfully considered.

Above all we ask for your prayers. God will make a way for Caroline. He is at work in this situation. The presence of specialists in NY and AR are an answer to many prayers. Please continue to pray for Caroline, for successful removal of the hemangioma, for no permanent damage to her eye sight, for safe travel.
Please give prayerful consideration to making a donation to support Caroline’s treatment. Caroline's parent will have access to and control of all donation to cover medical and travel expenses associated with her treatment and her general health and well being.