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First Coast Toddler Needs Surgery To Help Vision |
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Sunday, 23 March 2008 |
Source: First Coast News
By Angela Williams
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Two and a half year-old Christian Chapu loves to play.
“I'm in the box, I'm in the box,” says Christian Chapu as he plays with his toys.
He loves his cars and he loves to talk.
“What’s that?” says Christian. “A camera,” replies our First Coast News photographer Steve Berrios. “That’s a camera!” says Christian.
“He's a typical boy, loves playing outside and rough housing with dad,” says his mother, Nella-Maude Chapu.
Christian is legally blind. Doctors have diagnosed him with Optic Nerve Hypolasia also known as ONH. It’s a rare condition that severely affects the vision, only allowing him to make out objects about two feet in front of him.
“We know in one eye all he can see is light, and the other eye his vision is 2400 which is legally blind, so he's considered legally blind,” says Chapu.
His mother says there is a stem cell surgery that can help. The problem is, it's done in China and isn't cheap.
“We're trying to raise $60,000 to get over there and to get the procedure done. We'll have to be over there for 30 days in the hospital, so, it's costly,” says his mother. “It will give him sight. There have been ten Americans children that have had this done so far and all of them have had wonderful results,”
The Chapu's have set up a website explaining Christian's story and also asking donations and for ideas on how to fundraise. They want to give their son the sight he deserves.
“I just want Christian to have the best opportunity to have the best life possible,” says Chapu.
“The camera take a picture, the camera take a picture!” says Christian.
If you would like to help the Chapu family with either donations or fundraising ideas, go to their web site.
Back in Feburary we did a story on six-year-old Rylee Lovett who also has ONH. Her family was finally able to raise enough money to go to China so she could have the surgery.
After the family returned from China they said she was showing good signs of improvement in her vision.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 25 March 2008 )
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