"New Eye" for Rocco!
Donation protected
To Everyone:
This is our friend Rocco.
Ever since we met Rocco when he was in my daughter's 3's pre-school class, he always been a kid who looks on the bright side and an awesome friend. The video above, I think, shows what a great, optimistic kid he is.
In March 2015, Rocco and his family were driving into downtown Portland when they were rear-ended by a Dodge Ram on Hwy 26. They were at a dead stop when the Dodge hit them.
The driver of the truck was uninsured.
The majority of the damage was done to the side of the car where Rocco was sitting and he hit his head on the passenger window. They initially went to the ER, but issues like this are hard to detect and a few months later Rocco told his grandmother that he could ‘only see black’ in parts of his right eye.
They were seen by a specialist and given the devastating news that Rocco’s right retina had torn and slowly detached. As a result of the detachment and because it was over a period of time Rocco had permanently lost central vision in the right eye, but there could be surgery to reattach and gain back peripheral vision. Even with the gain of periperhal vision, Rocco would either be totally blind or legally blind in the right eye permanently. Rocco also had to be referred to another specialist because pediatric retina re-attachment is incredibly difficult and very few doctors in our area do them.
His Mom said that when the doctor first told Rocco he asked if he would still be able to see his little sister, tears brimming in his eyes. When the doctor said yes, that he would continue to see out of the left eye, Rocco brightened right up and said, “Well, ok then – as long as I can still see my sister, I’ll be alright!” On the way home Rocco told his Mom that he wanted to “make a movie” of the journey so other kids could watch it and not feel so scared if they have to have eye surgery. (See, I told you, he’s a really rad kid.)
Rocco’s first surgery was scheduled for ten days later. Scared, he kept up his positivity for getting a "new eye".
Rocco required care almost every hour during the night and a special bed to sleep in to ensure he was sleeping on his side and never on his back. His Mom spent the summer (sleepless) and trying to keep Rocco’s eye clean, dry and him sleeping on his side (which was to relieve eye pressure and keep the retina attached).
The biggest blow to them is the warning from the current specialist that Rocco’s odds of having his left retina detach are doubled and there is a possibility that down the road he could have the same vision loss in that eye, rendereing him blind or legally blind. A bleak outcome that is certainly our biggest fear.
The first surgery seemed to be a total success, until 6 weeks later the retina was detaching again because scar tissue had grown over the retina and was pulling it back off the eye. (This is supposed to be a common issue for children.)
So a second surgery was scheduled. More sleepless nights. More pain. More heartache. Still no vision.
Anyone who knows Roccos' Mom, knows that she’s probably the funniest person you’ve ever met, she has a heart bigger than her sense of humor (which is huge), she’s honest, compassionate and always trying to live in gratitude and help others. But like many of us, she’s a single Mom and so this financial burden has fallen totally on her. The medical insurance that is carried for the children has a huge deductible and the family is already nearly $10,000 in medical debt with several more surgeries on the horizon.
Aside from the current mounting debt, I am putting together this gofundme in the hope that we can raise enough to pay the current and upcoming surgery bills, but also in the hope that (if we really exceed the stated goal) we can raise enough money to get Rocco to a pediatric specialist who might be able to better help him. At the moment, any medical trials or second opinions are financially out of the question.
I can promise you, Rocco is worth every penny. He's been a great friend to my kids and if ANY kid deserves a chance to see better it’s him.
I thought if everyone who saw this donated just $5 – Rocco would be able to have the surgery he needs in several months’ time, and maybe we can get him to a specialist for a second opinion, cover future needs and family needs.
Please help with whatever you can.
Thank you, Alison
This is our friend Rocco.
Ever since we met Rocco when he was in my daughter's 3's pre-school class, he always been a kid who looks on the bright side and an awesome friend. The video above, I think, shows what a great, optimistic kid he is.
In March 2015, Rocco and his family were driving into downtown Portland when they were rear-ended by a Dodge Ram on Hwy 26. They were at a dead stop when the Dodge hit them.
The driver of the truck was uninsured.
The majority of the damage was done to the side of the car where Rocco was sitting and he hit his head on the passenger window. They initially went to the ER, but issues like this are hard to detect and a few months later Rocco told his grandmother that he could ‘only see black’ in parts of his right eye.
They were seen by a specialist and given the devastating news that Rocco’s right retina had torn and slowly detached. As a result of the detachment and because it was over a period of time Rocco had permanently lost central vision in the right eye, but there could be surgery to reattach and gain back peripheral vision. Even with the gain of periperhal vision, Rocco would either be totally blind or legally blind in the right eye permanently. Rocco also had to be referred to another specialist because pediatric retina re-attachment is incredibly difficult and very few doctors in our area do them.
His Mom said that when the doctor first told Rocco he asked if he would still be able to see his little sister, tears brimming in his eyes. When the doctor said yes, that he would continue to see out of the left eye, Rocco brightened right up and said, “Well, ok then – as long as I can still see my sister, I’ll be alright!” On the way home Rocco told his Mom that he wanted to “make a movie” of the journey so other kids could watch it and not feel so scared if they have to have eye surgery. (See, I told you, he’s a really rad kid.)
Rocco’s first surgery was scheduled for ten days later. Scared, he kept up his positivity for getting a "new eye".
Rocco required care almost every hour during the night and a special bed to sleep in to ensure he was sleeping on his side and never on his back. His Mom spent the summer (sleepless) and trying to keep Rocco’s eye clean, dry and him sleeping on his side (which was to relieve eye pressure and keep the retina attached).
The biggest blow to them is the warning from the current specialist that Rocco’s odds of having his left retina detach are doubled and there is a possibility that down the road he could have the same vision loss in that eye, rendereing him blind or legally blind. A bleak outcome that is certainly our biggest fear.
The first surgery seemed to be a total success, until 6 weeks later the retina was detaching again because scar tissue had grown over the retina and was pulling it back off the eye. (This is supposed to be a common issue for children.)
So a second surgery was scheduled. More sleepless nights. More pain. More heartache. Still no vision.
Anyone who knows Roccos' Mom, knows that she’s probably the funniest person you’ve ever met, she has a heart bigger than her sense of humor (which is huge), she’s honest, compassionate and always trying to live in gratitude and help others. But like many of us, she’s a single Mom and so this financial burden has fallen totally on her. The medical insurance that is carried for the children has a huge deductible and the family is already nearly $10,000 in medical debt with several more surgeries on the horizon.
Aside from the current mounting debt, I am putting together this gofundme in the hope that we can raise enough to pay the current and upcoming surgery bills, but also in the hope that (if we really exceed the stated goal) we can raise enough money to get Rocco to a pediatric specialist who might be able to better help him. At the moment, any medical trials or second opinions are financially out of the question.
I can promise you, Rocco is worth every penny. He's been a great friend to my kids and if ANY kid deserves a chance to see better it’s him.
I thought if everyone who saw this donated just $5 – Rocco would be able to have the surgery he needs in several months’ time, and maybe we can get him to a specialist for a second opinion, cover future needs and family needs.
Please help with whatever you can.
Thank you, Alison
Organizer and beneficiary
Allison Anne
Organizer
Portland, OR
Elish Appling
Beneficiary
