Little Miss Ava's Eye Journey
Hello,
Just wanted to spread the word about Ava's eye journey.
Ava was born on September 29, 2019.
In February of 2020 we noticed that Ava wasn't reaching her vision milestones at four months of age. She was referred to an eye specialist which she was diagnosed as being legally blind with little to no vision and then was later diagnosed with congenital glaucoma, enlarged and stretched eyes, bilateral retinal dystrophy, neonatal onset, low vision in both eyes with roving eye movements and pendular nystagmus. At this this time we were told she could only see lights and shadows if anything.
Ava has had four eye surgeries and ten sedations. Our insurance does not cover the majority of the medical bills. Each surgery has been around $5,000 out of pocket expense. Each sedation is around $3,000.
For each surgery, it is six weeks recovery time and one of us have exhausted our PTO bank for a year and a half and there has been no double income coming in during these times.
Ava needed four different kinds of eye pressure drops , eye patches, eye shields and many doctor appointments.
The surgeries she had were:
On 03/03/2020 tube drains were placed in both eyes which helped with her eye pressure for a short period of time along with eye pressure drops. On 11/17/2020 she had a lensectomy surgery which removed her eye lenses. Her eye pressures stayed in the mid 20s to high 30s. Normal eye pressures are in the teens. On 02/16/2021 she had her left eye shunt inserted. Then on 04/06/2021 she had her right eye shunt inserted. Pressures have been stable. You can only have three shunts placed in each eye for her lifetime. We don't know what is in store after this for Ava's vision.
On 3/31/2020 she got her first pair of prescription eye glasses with double prescriptions (-17.50 and -19.75). She also needed prescription sunglasses to protect her eyes when outside. She is on her third pair of prescription glasses and sunglasses which the prescription changes frequently. After the lensectomy surgery, her prescription changed to +2.50 and +3.50 and +3.00 bifocals being she doesn't have any eye lenses.
We would appreciate anything you are able to donate to our Little Miss Ava for her continued medical expenses now and in the future.
If you are unable to donate, all we ask is for your prayers and well wishes on Ava's journey.
