Please help us save the eyesight of a precious 11-year-old girl whose world is filled with beauty, creativity, and love. Lila is losing her vision, and we urgently need your help to give her the best possible chance of preserving it.

If you know Lila, you know that she is a child who leaves an impression on your heart.

Every time she sees me, she comes running into my arms with the warmest, most affectionate hug. Her radiant smile lights up every space she enters. She is overflowing with sweetness, enthusiasm, and a remarkable artistic talent that never ceases to astonish those of us fortunate enough to know her.

And now, heartbreakingly, this beautiful little girl is losing her eyesight.

Last night, when I told my daughter, herself a mother of two young children, about Lila's deteriorating vision, her whole body visibly startled in shock. Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"But she is an artist!" she exclaimed.

Those five words captured the heartbreak of this situation.

Lila is not simply a child who enjoys drawing. She is an extraordinarily gifted young artist. At just 11 years old, she creates works of art that leave adults marveling at her talent. She can often be found quietly sketching beautiful pictures of Radha and Krishna while listening to Krishna Katha at our temple.

Her art is not merely a pastime. It is one of the ways she expresses her love for Krishna, her understanding of beauty, and the extraordinary gifts she has been blessed with.

To think that she could lose the ability to see the very beauty she so lovingly recreates on paper is almost unbearable.

And yet, that is the frightening reality her family is facing.

Since birth, Lila has lived with Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis, a chronic inflammatory condition that has meant years of medical appointments, medications, discomfort, and physical limitations.

There have been activities she has longed to pursue, including Bharatanatyam, that her condition has made difficult.

But Lila has never allowed these challenges to extinguish her joyful spirit.

She has studied the cello for more than three years, loves playing the piano, and is an enthusiastic member of her swim team. She pours herself into everything she does with a determination and sweetness that are truly inspiring.

And through it all, she draws. She creates. She smiles. She runs to greet us with those wonderful hugs.

Now, after everything she has already endured, Lila faces the possibility of losing something unimaginably precious: her sight.

In October 2026, following nearly a year of noticeable vision deterioration, Lila was evaluated at Duke Eye Center and diagnosed with two serious conditions affecting both eyes:

- Chronic Anterior Uveitis: Persistent inflammation inside the eyes that can threaten vision.

- Band Keratopathy: Calcium deposits on the corneas that can interfere with clear sight.

Most alarmingly, Lila's vision is deteriorating relatively rapidly.

She is only 11 years old.

At an age when she should be discovering new colors, filling sketchbooks, reading stories, studying music, and marveling at the world around her, she and her parents are facing the terrifying uncertainty of how much of that world she will continue to be able to see.

Over the years, Lila has tried several conventional medications, including Humira and Tremfya, without achieving the lasting results her family had hoped for. The next recommended medical step involves more intensive biologic infusions, requiring regular IV treatments over an extended period.

After a long and challenging journey navigating these treatments without achieving the results her family had hoped for, they decided to take a different approach to managing her overall health.

After a long and challenging journey with conventional medications, Lila's family turned toward a more natural and holistic path, incorporating dietary changes, natural medicine, herbal therapies, and other complementary treatments. This decision has proven very encouraging, with significant improvements in managing her joint inflammation. Having experienced these positive changes, they are hopeful about continuing this approach while minimizing the potential complications and burdens associated with increasingly intensive medication protocols.

Lila's family has identified a two-week intensive program at the [Eye Health Institute in New Jersey](https://www.eyehealthinstitute.com/treatment-options/in-office-care), which offers non-invasive therapies intended to support people with complex eye conditions.

They hope this program will provide additional support for Lila's eye health alongside appropriate medical monitoring. Although the program cannot guarantee that her vision will be restored or preserved, her family wants to explore every reasonable opportunity to help their daughter.

The immediate financial need is $10,900.

This will cover:

- Two weeks of intensive care at the Eye Health Institute.

- Fourteen nights of lodging.

- Round-trip travel for Lila and one parent.

The family also plans to continue complementary care locally following the program.

For a family already carrying the financial burden of years of chronic illness, this is a substantial expense. And with Lila's vision continuing to deteriorate, they are deeply concerned about losing precious time.

This is why I am reaching out to you personally.

I keep thinking about that little girl running toward me, arms outstretched, her face beaming with happiness.

I think about her delicate drawings, her remarkable creativity, and the beautiful future that should be unfolding before her.

I think about her parents, who have spent 11 years doing everything in their power to help their precious daughter thrive despite the challenges of chronic illness.

And I think about my daughter's tearful words:

"But she is an artist!"

How desperately we want Lila to be able to continue seeing the colors she loves, the faces of those who cherish her, the beauty of Krishna's creation, and the exquisite forms of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna whom she so lovingly depicts in her artwork.

For Lila, sight is also deeply connected to her spiritual life. Taking darshan of the Deities, seeing the beautiful forms of Radha and Krishna, and creating artistic offerings for Their pleasure are among the joys that enrich her young life.

As a Vaishnava community, we have the extraordinary blessing of being able to come together in loving service when one of our own is suffering.

I am asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to please help this precious child.

If you can give $25, $50, $100, $500, or any amount at all, your generosity will help bring Lila's family closer to making this program possible.

If you are blessed with the means to make a larger contribution, please consider doing so. And if you cannot contribute financially, please share this appeal with your friends and family and keep Lila in your prayers.

Please don't put this aside for another day. Lila's eyesight is deteriorating, and her family needs our help now.

My heartfelt prayer is that Lila will have many, many more years to behold the beautiful forms of Radha and Krishna, to marvel at the colors of Their creation, and to transform that beauty into the extraordinary artwork that already brings so much joy to others.

Please donate today. Please share her story. Please help us protect Lila's precious gift of sight.

With heartfelt gratitude for your kindness, generosity, and prayers,

Campakalata Devi Dasi

Hare Krishna!