Dear Family, Friends, and Kind Strangers,
I’m reaching out with a heartfelt request to help my brother, Brandon, who has been living with a condition called Keratoconus for years. While his condition is currently stable, it’s a progressive eye disease that causes the cornea to thin and bulge outwards, distorting vision. If left untreated, it could worsen over time, leading to severe vision impairment. Brandon has always done his best to adapt to the challenges of this condition, but now, with the guidance of his doctors, he has the opportunity to take significant steps toward restoring his sight.
What Is Keratoconus and Why Does Brandon Need Surgery?
Keratoconus is a degenerative condition that affects the shape of the cornea, leading to blurry and distorted vision. Brandon has been managing his condition with glasses and previously contact lenses, but as his eyes have changed, these solutions are no longer enough to maintain his quality of life.
To prevent further progression and to restore his vision, Brandon needs two important surgeries:
Corneal Cross-Linking (CXL): This procedure is designed to strengthen the cornea and prevent it from getting any worse. By using a combination of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and ultraviolet light, the cornea becomes more rigid and stable, essentially halting the progression of the disease.
PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy): Once the cornea is stabilized, the next step is PRK, a laser surgery that reshapes the cornea to correct the vision distortion caused by the disease. PRK has been shown to be an effective option for people with Keratoconus, and it offers the potential for Brandon to regain much clearer, more stable vision.
OR possibly ICL eye surgery (if after the first procedure he does not qualify for PRK). ICL stands for Implantable Collamer Lens surgery. It’s a vision correction procedure used to treat nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism.
A lens is implanted inside the eye, behind the iris and in front of the natural lens. It works like a permanent contact lens, but it doesn’t replace the natural lens.
Why We Need Your Help
The surgeries are life-changing, but they come with significant costs—both for the procedures themselves and for the aftercare and follow-up appointments that are necessary for the best results. Unfortunately, health insurance doesn’t cover these procedures (they only get involved when a person can no longer see with the aid of glasses, which could be the point of no return), and he’s unable to afford the full cost on his own.
We’re asking for your support to help Brandon get the medical treatment he needs. The total cost for the Corneal Cross-Linking and PRK/ICL surgeries, as well as recovery and follow-up care, amounts to $22,000. Any donation, no matter how small, will bring us closer to reaching this goal and getting Brandon the help he deserves.
How You Can Help
Donate: No donation is too small. Every dollar helps and is deeply appreciated.
Share: Please share this campaign with your family, friends, and networks. The more people who know about Brandon’s journey, the closer we get to raising the necessary funds.
Support: If you can’t contribute financially, sharing this fundraiser page or offering words of encouragement means the world to us.
Brandon is a kind, selfless person who has always put others before himself. It’s been a long road for him, and this surgery will offer him a chance to finally see the world clearly again. We know how much it would mean for him to regain his vision and live a life without the daily struggles of blurred eyesight.
A Vision for the Future:
Brandon dreams of one day walking outside without squinting to see the faces of his loved ones, of reading books or playing games without straining his eyes, and of enjoying the little moments in life—like seeing the stars clearly on a clear night or fully appreciating the beauty of a sunset. With your help, we believe these dreams can become a reality.
Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and support. We are incredibly grateful for any contributions, and even more thankful for the love and encouragement we’ve already received from all of you. With your help, Brandon’s vision can be restored, and he can start a new chapter in his life.
With heartfelt thanks,
Brandon’s sister, Monique.
