Help Support Kathy Mullen In Restoring Her Vision

Kathy Mullen, a dedicated Occupational Therapist, has spent her life providing care and support to adults, children, and families in need of assistance with daily living activities. Over her 30-year career, she has worked in private, public school, and home-based settings, but her deepest passion lies in early intervention programs for children. For over 25 years, Kathy has been a vital part of the early intervention/preschool program at Alternatives for Children, where she has touched the lives of countless children, guiding them toward their next steps in education. Her compassion extends beyond the children she works with, as she consistently offers comfort and support to their caregivers, often staying after hours to listen, counsel, and lend a hand in any way she can.

Kathy’s journey toward becoming an OT is deeply rooted in her own childhood experiences. Born with Ectodermal Dysplasia, she has faced significant challenges throughout her life but has never allowed them to limit her. As a child, she declined adaptive measures in school, insisting on doing things independently and refusing assistance. This early determination shaped her resilience and empathy, qualities that have made her such a dedicated therapist.

Recently, Kathy's lifelong courage has been tested in an unexpected and difficult way. Having lost vision in her left eye at a young age, she began experiencing pain and blurring in her right eye in June of this year. These symptoms worsened, and by the end of the month, her vision was severely impaired, and she was no longer able to drive. She sought treatment for her rapidly diminishing vision, all while continuing to work until she was no longer able to see.

It was at that point that she realized she needed to seek second opinions. She has found some wonderful doctors who have offered some hope. She will be traveling to the Cincinnati Eye Institute for a Limbal Cell Transplant, a surgical procedure that replaces limbal stem cells in an eye that has limbal stem cell deficiency to restore vision. This will be a long medical journey for her that will include a lot of traveling back and forth to her medical team, medical treatments to prepare her for a transplant, and aftercare to assure she doesn’t reject this treatment.

Kathy, a single mom of three wonderful and supportive young-adult children, needs help! With them, and along with the loving support of her family, and many friends and co-workers that consider her family, we feel we can help. Let's try and support her financial needs so she can focus on getting her sight and life back!

Donations received will be put towards the many out-of-pocket medical expenses, travel, and accommodations while undergoing this treatment. Any level of generosity will help lift the financial burden she is feeling as a result of no longer being able to work and while facing this daunting medical journey. Your support, whether by donating or sharing Kathy's page, will mean the world to her and her family during this time.