Our family is fighting for the opportunity to get a treatment for my daughter, Carlie. She was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplaysia which is now the leading cause of blindness in the world. Many children are being helped by this procedure. We only found out about this procedure three weeks ago. Research is showing that the younger the child is, the better results they have, so Carlie is in a time crunch to get this treatment as soon as possible. If 1,000 people donate $50 we could reach our goal!

On July 19,2000 God blessed our family with our first born child, a baby girl. Carlie Ann Smith came into this world as, what we thought, a normal healthy 7 pound baby. After three months went by we noticed she wasn't reacting to the world around her. I distinctively remember the night we realized there was a problem. Matthew, her daddy, took a very bright pen light and flashed it in her eyes. Carlie had no reaction, not even a flinch. This is when we knew we had to take her to see a specialist. A trip to Texas Childrens Hospital gave us the devastating news that our daughter would have severe vision loss that could not be helped. She said the diagnosis was Optic Nerve Hypoplaysia with Septo Optic Dysplaysia. We were told to take her home and teach her how to live with the sight she did have, so that is exactly what we did. Our lives begin to quickly change, but all the while, we loved and cared for her, for this was our baby girl.  We were sent back for an MRI and then given more news that her pituitary was also damaged and we would need to see an endocrinologist to keep up with the other health concerns that brings. Later that year she had surgery to correct her crossed eyes. Although this did not improve her vision, this surgery was sucessful in helping her eyes to work together and appear "normal". Looking back we did not even realize what a year that actually was. The Lord gave us the strength to do what we had to do. We could definitely feel the love, support and prayers of our family and friends.

Carlie is now 8 years old and attends the local public elementary school. She loves her friends and family and has a smile that will light up the room. She is currently taking Growth Hormones for her growth hormone deficiency, which means Carlie takes a needle injection every night. We have seen her grow almost three inches in the last three months. Those that know Carlie can testify to how amazing she really is. She really has learned to adapt to the sight that she has, and very well I might say. Her teachers here have done an awesome job at teaching her the skills of using a cane, and telescope to get around. Her vision teacher also teachs Carlie to use other magnifying devices to help her see to be successful in school.

We are trying to raise enough money to go to Thailand for Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Injections. These are stem cells that are taken from a baby's umbilical cord after its birth. This has become an amazing and very successful procedure for many other children with Carlie's diagnosis, which currently has no cure or answer. More information on this procedure can be found under the links tab. We will need to raise around $50,000 to get Carlie there, and we would like to be in Thailand by May 2009. If you are interested in donating or helping in any way, please click donate or contact

Thanks for your love and support!