Support Makalia's Last Sightseeing Adventures

Help Makalia See the World Before She Loses Her Sight

Makalia’s world is getting darker. At just 26 years old, she has been diagnosed with retinal degeneration, a condition that is causing her vision to fade rapidly. Right now, she can still see, but not well—her eyesight is at 20/60 in one eye and 20/70 in the other. Doctors have told her that within one to two years, she will be completely blind. There is no cure, no way to stop it—only the heartbreaking reality that soon, she will never again see the faces of her loved ones, the beauty of a sunset, or the sports she loves so much.

Before that happens, she has two dreams:

1. To see the beaches of Hawaii—to experience the ocean, the sunsets, and the world’s beauty while she still can.

2. To go to a Yankees game—to sit in Yankee Stadium, feel the energy of the crowd, and watch her favorite team play in person before she loses her sight forever.

Makalia’s journey has never been easy. When she was just 7 years old, on her birthday, a boy became angry with her and hit her in the face twice with a baseball bat. That horrific moment left her with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that changed her life forever. Because of this, she functions more like a child, mentally between the ages of 7 and 12 on most things, sometimes closer to 12 to 15. She also has additional health challenges stemming from the injury.

Despite everything, Makalia is full of life, love, and laughter. She is kind, funny, and warm-hearted, and she absolutely adores her family, especially her nieces and nephew, who she is the best auntie to.

She has always loved sports more than anything. Football is her passion—she knows everything about the NFL, and her all-time favorite teams are the Seattle Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs. She also loves basketball (Golden State Warriors) and baseball (New York Yankees). She was involved in Special Olympics for years, but due to her health, she recently had to stop—a devastating loss for her.

Because of her TBI and the way she processes the world, Makalia cannot travel alone. She will need a chaperone to accompany her on these trips, which adds to the cost—but is absolutely necessary to ensure she can safely enjoy these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Makalia has never let life’s challenges define her, but this is one battle she cannot fight alone. We want to make her dreams come true before her world goes dark—but we need your help to make that possible.

Every donation, big or small, helps bring these experiences to life. If you can’t donate, please share her story. Let’s show Makalia that she is not alone, that love and kindness can make the impossible possible.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us give Makalia the gift of sight—before it’s gone forever.