When your child is diagnosed with a visual impairment, the world can suddenly feel overwhelming and uncertain. So many questions and emotions immediately flood over you - but one thing was immediately clear...we can do this!

My husband, Axel, and I got married in 2011, right after his 2nd deployment to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps. We have a 14-year-old (sighted) son named Ace, and our youngest, Gunner (11 years old), was born blind with a rare retina disorder called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). LCA is the most common cause of inherited blindness in childhood; of all the retinal degenerations, LCA is the most severe.

When Gunner was just 2 weeks old, we began seeing specialists with our concerns about Gunner's eyes. After many tests and even genetic testing, at 4 months old, we learned Gunner was born blind. Two months after receiving his diagnosis, we received the genetic results (CEP290/LCA10).

As you could imagine, this news changed our lives. Very few can understand and relate to us, but it is still our job as parents to do everything we can, learn everything we can, and give him everything we can. It's so important for Axel and me to be able to attend learning opportunities and conferences just like the upcoming VISIONS2026 conference with Foundation Fighting Blindness this June in Texas. Foundation Fighting Blindness is an organization that drives education, research, and treatments for inherited retinal disorders, like Gunner's LCA. At the VISIONS conference, there will be sessions about advocacy, updated research on Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, technology, and available resources, as well as surround ourselves with other families that "get it" and that we can relate to. As a mom, all we want is to be able to give our kids the sun, the moon, and the stars - and that's what Gunner will get!

VISIONS2026 is June 12th & 13th, (making the 10th & 14th the days we will be traveling). Funds raised will be for the cost of registration tickets to attend the conference and cover all meals ($375/each), the cost for the hotel reservation ($209/night; 3 nights needed), and for airfare to travel to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas.

For any information about Foundation Fighting Blindness's VISIONS2026 conference, please go to fightingblindness.org