Help Sophia Travel Admist Cone Dystrophy Diagnosis

Hello Okanagan and Victoria Community,

My name is Alexis Oram and I'm reaching out to you all on behalf of my best friend, Sophia Boal. Last year Sophia was diagnosed with Cone Dystrophy, a rare genetic eye disorder that affects the cone cells of the retina, causing central vision loss, colour blindness, and increased light sensitivity. Over the last year, her symptoms have been progressively getting worse, with her left eye already causing her significant impairment.

With this diagnosis, her future has become uncertain as there is limited research on her condition. Her journey with Cone Dystrophy will require a new learning on how to navigate through this world. But with support from assistive technologies, her family (Jennifer Boal, Sean Boal, and Benjamin Boal), her friends, and community members, I believe she will be able to live a high quality life despite the future challenges.

Sophia grew up in Lake Country but moved to Victoria to pursue a degree in Psychology at UVIC which she completed last spring. But if you've ever gone through the Turtle Bay Starbucks, bought fruit from Gambell Farms, or attended live music in the park, you've probably seen her and had a great interaction with her. She is an incredible, resilient, and genuine human who consistently shows up for everyone around her. So now it's our turn to show up for her!

Sophia and I have been best friends since working together at Starbucks at the young age of sixteen. The first thing we connected over was travelling and experiencing the world and its people. We both moved to Victoria on our own during Covid and school so it was unfortunately something we could never talk about seriously. However, because of her recent diagnosis, we feel this is the best time to pursue our dreams.

We've decided to go to Europe this fall for 3 months and travel across the continent. Our goal is to immerse ourselves in their diverse cultures and create connections with the local people. As well, expand our knowledge in their rich history, explore new cuisines, and discover breathtaking views and architecture. We want to see as much beauty as we can before her vision becomes worse.

I know this trip will not only help uplift her spirits, but get us more comfortable travelling with her condition so that we can learn together what she will need for future travels.

I am humbly asking the Okanagan and Victoria community for support for this trip. Any contributions will go towards travel expenses, accommodations, and any special needs Sophia may require. This is something we are both super excited about and being able to have financial flexibility will allow us to focus on the experience and her health. Every dollar helps and if we raise enough, the remaining money will be used for medical bills and the assistive technology that she will require in the future.

From the bottom of both our hearts, thank you for reading this through and for your support,

Alexis