‘Specs For Little Heroes’ Strives To Protect Vision In Kids With Retinoblastoma

Ok, so do you guys remember me talking about my dear friend, Erin, and what happened to her adorable son, Justin last year?

Justin lost his left eye to retinoblastoma, which is a form of cancer that manifests itself in the eyes of young children. He wasn’t sick or showing signs of what you’d think would typically happen to a child with cancer. Instead, his left eye was starting to look a bit lazy, and there was a strange, white glare in it that would sometimes show up in photos. Justin has loving and persistent parents who knew in their gut that something just wasn’t quite right. But what they thought would wind up being just a routine visit to the eye doctor turned out to be a cancer diagnosis that would change their lives forever.

I’m beyond pleased to report that nearly a year after Justin’s diagnosis with retinoblastoma, he is still cancer free. And if you didn’t know that Justin had lost his eye to this horrible disease, then you’d probably never notice that his left eye happens to be a prosthetic. You’d probably just think he was a cute little kid with glasses.

Justin

But what you’d also never know by looking Justin is that he is wearing a very special type of glasses that kids who have retinoblastoma need in order to maintain their vision. The glasses are totally shatter-proof, and they protect children who are either going through chemotherapy to save the vision in one or both of their eyes, or they protect the “good eye” in kids who have lost one to the disease. In the words of my friend, “Kids who have only one eye are eight times more likely to injure or even lose their eye.” These glasses are a necessity.

And because Erin and her husband are passionate about doing good for others and look for the positive in every situation, they have started an AMAZING non-profit agency called “Specs For Little Heroes,” in the hopes of gifting pairs of these special glasses to children who may not be able to afford them otherwise.

You see, a lot of parents will be shocked to hear that most insurance plans do not cover the cost of these glasses for their kids…which are $350 per pair. And it is just beyond devastating to know what your child needs to help save his/her vision, and not be able to give it to them.

But Specs For Little Heroes was started to change that, and thanks to donations from people who were touched by Justin’s story, they have already gifted 11 pairs of glasses to kids who need them. Specs For Little Heroes is trying to reach their goal of having 100 people pledge to donate $3.50 per month every month, which would help ensure that at least one child receives a pair of these glasses for every month of the year. For the cost of ONE latte at Starbuck’s per month, you can help give the gift of sight to a child who needs it. And you really just can’t put a price on that.

You can find out more information about donating to Specs For Little Heroes on their website, along with hearing more about Justin’s story, and you can even see photos of some of the kids who have received their special specs thus far.

Erin & her husband’s passion and dedication to spreading awareness about retinoblastoma and helping children who have it is something that has inspired me and made me realize that even though bad things sometimes happen, it’s what we choose to do as a result of those experiences that truly makes every day in our lives worthwhile. Make your actions COUNT, and strive to see the good in everyone and everything, even when it seems like the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do.