Nicole’s cure for light over darkness

Hello Family, Friends, and anyone taking the time to read this.

My name is Carol. I started this Go Fund Me page for my cousin Nicole. Even though we lives miles apart I felt the need to contribute to a situation that I felt was very important. Nicole is in need of an emergency eye surgery that will hopefully prevent further sight degeneration and restore her ability to live a normal life.

My cousin Nicole lives in Trinidad, West Indies.

She loves her dogs and the outdoors, and was always happily involved in related activities.

Last year; she started experiencing eye floaters in her right eye and in the time frame of less than 2 months she went from floaters to blurry vision to no vision.

She was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and had to do urgent and immediate surgery if she had to regain any degree of sight in the right eye.

During the period of the covid lock down time she became unemployed for a short time but then got a lesser paying job and was able to adjust to support her commitments.

The unfortunate news was heartbreaking because she couldn't afford the surgery. However, concerned relatives and friends contributed and she was able to make the down payment and had the surgery done in August 2022, a few months before her 50th birthday in November.

A follow up surgery was required in December 2022. She had two surgeries and was afforded a monthly payment plan because of her financial constraints.

She kept her appointments for checkups and necessary eye injections and was able to buy her eye and diabetic medication while still making her monthly installments.

In February of 2023, she started experiencing similar changes in her left eye. She was advised that surgery has to be done in not more than 2 to 3 months before she goes blind in the eye so as to get the best results.

The post surgery checkups on the right eye has revealed that the healing process is still ongoing and vision has not been restored enough to see anything but shadows. If the left eye is allowed to go untreated and surgery is prolonged, the post surgery recovery may be affected and she may experience the same lack of sight in both eyes.

It is undoubtedly a very depressing and scary situation to be in. To not be able to do her usual daily routine or enjoy spending time with her pets and her relatives and to be dependent on someone else, especially since she lives alone..it's must be terrifying!

She no longer has the comfort of insurance due to the job change and is in desperate need of assistance to get the surgery done and prevent a worst case blind scenario. This surgery has to be done as soon as possible but financial constraints are hindering the process.

The balance of money due from the last surgery plus the cost of the new surgery amounts to 5k USD$. Additional costs for pre and post surgery visits and expenses during the initial 4 to 5 week recovery period has been averaged for another 5k , so our goal is to raise 10k$USD. ($14,000CAD) in a month's time.

The surgery ( Vitrectomy) will be performed by the doctors at the Caribbean Vitreous and Retina Surgery Ltd. In Port of Spain, Trinidad. It can only happen when the balance due from the last surgery is paid and a 50% down-payment on the new surgery is made.

Her greatest fear is going blind at the young age of 50. She would lose her independence and the ability to work as she is accustomed to. Nicole wouldn’t be able to maintain herself and her health properly. She would not have the opportunity of fulfilling her other desires and accomplishments. Nicole would miss out on being an active part in the lives of the younger family members and to continue being of assistance to the older ones. Living her whole life seeing the wonders and joys of this world then to suddenly spend the rest of her days in darkness; fear and frustration because that drastic change will be overwhelming to say the least. Help us to help her stay in the light.

We kindly ask for your support in raising the required funds in the shortest possible time to give her the opportunity to regain her sight and live the normal, independent and happy life that we all cherish.

Please share this link.

Thank you

Carol Reesal