Amel Association International - Houston Chapter is proud to endorse and support this urgent campaign to save the vision of two young brothers from Lebanon.

Bassam is 9 years old.

Jad is just 3.

They are bright, joyful children who love to play, learn, and explore the world — a world that is slowly fading from their sight.

Both boys have been diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, specifically Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) — a rare inherited retinal disease that causes severe vision loss beginning in early childhood and often leads to blindness.

For most children facing this diagnosis, there is no treatment. Vision loss is considered inevitable.

But for Bassam and Jad, there is hope.

After specialized genetic testing, doctors discovered that both boys carry a mutation in the RPE65 gene. This discovery is life-changing — because RPE65 is currently the only genetic mutation causing this form of blindness for which an approved treatment exists.

That treatment is Luxturna, a groundbreaking gene therapy designed to preserve remaining vision by correcting the underlying genetic defect.

However, timing is everything.

Gene therapy must be administered early — before further irreversible damage occurs.

Each child must receive treatment in both eyes.

Unfortunately, this highly specialized procedure is not available in Lebanon. Bassam and Jad must travel to Paris, France, to receive treatment at the Hôpital National de la Vision — one of the few centers worldwide offering this therapy.

The Financial Challenge

The cost of treatment is:

This amount covers medical treatment only. It does not include, international travel from Lebanon to France, accommodation, post treatment follow up visits and additional medical and living expenses.

No family can reasonably bear this burden alone.

Why Your Support Matters

Without treatment, Bassam and Jad will progressively lose their vision.

With treatment, they have the chance to preserve what they still see — to continue recognizing their parents’ faces, reading books, playing with friends, and experiencing the beauty of the world around them.

Time is critical. Every delay increases the risk of permanent vision loss.

No parent should have to choose between financial survival and their children’s sight.

How You Can Help

Together, as a community, we can turn hope into action.

On behalf of Amel Association International, thank you for standing with Bassam and Jad and giving them the chance to keep seeing the world they love.