:: Connor's May UCLA Visit ::

Last week we were at UCLA for Connor's official examination under anesthesia with Dr. Demmer. We were relieved to find out Connor's eyes are completely healthy!!! Praise GOD! Dr. Demmer did find that Connor's eyes were slightly different from the first prescription he had given us, so we are ordering his new glasses tomorrow with a new prescription of -22.5 in the left eye and -19.5 in the right eye. He also saw that Connor's eye is shaped like an egg rather than a ping pong ball, he is not sure why...so he is doing some research on this. Dr. Demmer is concerned that there could be other problems Connor has that is creating such a severe change in his eyes. He has asked us to see a genetic specialist to rule out any other diseases he could have causing his eye problems. This is our next step along with getting contacts. Connor spent two days getting fitted for contacts while we were there and we will go back Monday to try and practice getting them in. This will be hard transition for Connor because of his age, but it is highly recommended as it will give Connor clarity of objects and peripheral vision. The funniest part of our visit was when the doc sat me down to discuss the price of Connor's contacts (just incase I fainted!), each pair will cost $500. This was a hard trip for us to make as a family, but we are so grateful to all of you as we knew we had continuous support the whole time we were there. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love, prayers and support. We will keep you posted on everything we find out and the dates of his next appointments.

Connor in front of the Jules Stein Institute

Connor waiting with mommy

Connor waiting to go in

Connor and Grandma making wishes for the day

:: Welcome Taylor Sunshine Perry ::

Taylor Sunshine Perry came into this world on April 22 at 2:11 am. She was a healthy 7lbs 11 oz. She is a beautiful addition to the family and the Perry's are doing great!

Since miss Taylor arrived a little later than expected the Perry's have rescheduled Connor's eye appointment at UCLA for May 19th. We'll update you after his appointment.

As of May 3rd we have raised $4,940!!!! Wow, the love for the Perry family is amazing and so are all of you who have helped out.

Lots of love to you Perry family!!! xoxo

Yoga & Raffle Success!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Yoga and Raffle last night, it was a great success! We raised $500 for Connor's Vision, bringing our grand total to $4,430!

A special thank you to Kori for teaching such a wonderful class and to Haute Yoga Studio for letting us use their amazing space.

Thanks again everyone, your support has made a huge difference in the Perry's lives.

:: Lori ::

We Have Raised......

As of April 9 we have raised an amazing total of $3,930!!! Thank you everyone!!

Yoga & Raffle for Connor's Vision ~ April 16th

Click on image to view larger

We Have Raised......

$3080.00 as of 3/26/10. Thank you so much everyone!!!

3-25-10 Appointment at the Jules Stein Eye Institute

Yesterday was our first appointment at UCLA with Dr. Joseph Demer. It was an exhausting 4 hours in his office, however, for the majority of the appointment Connor did very well, with just a few tantrums and cries. According to Dr. Demer, Connor's eyes are very straight, so we know his Strabisimus surgery was successful. It was also confirmed that Connor's eye sight has gotten much worse. He was given a new prescription of -17.5 in his right eye and -19 in his left eye. This concerns us a bit, as this change is not normal. There are many reasons why his eye could be developing this way. Currently we have been left in the dark, as Dr. Demer does not want was to worry over possibilities. He wants to make a diagnosis and then educate us. He mentioned it could be due to a disease in his lens, the actual shape of his eye, or the eye developing too quickly. In order to find out what could be going on, Connor will go under Anesthesia at the end of April (there is not a set date yet) to look at his complete eye anatomy. Another doctor will also attend who works with children in contacts. Dr. Demer thinks it would be a smart move to switch Connor into contacts because of his strong prescription.

We thank everyone for your phone calls, prayers, texts, emails and donations. It has meant SO much to us to know there is so many people who love our little boy as much as we do and receiving so much support helps to confirm we are making the right decisions in finding out Connor's proper diagnosis. We love you all and will keep you posted with the dates they set for his next appointment.

~ Ashley and Mike

Connor Checking out the doctor's office :)
3-25-10

The Big Reveal

We surprised the Perry's with a check on March 22nd for $1300.00 and told them donations were still coming in. The Perry's are so grateful for the fund and say a big thank you to all their wonderful family and friends!

We will keep you posted on the March 25th visit.

Connor's Story and how to Donate

We all know Connor Perry as a little boy full of energy, happiness and lots of love, whose smiles and giggles light up a room. He has two amazing parents, Mike and Ashley, who absolutely adore him. As a family they share a love for nature, whether it be the ocean or the mountains you’ll find them sharing nature’s beauty together. The Perry’s are going to be expanding their love very soon because they have a baby girl due April 9th and they couldn’t be happier.

When Connor was about a month old a family friend noticed his pupil wasn’t in the center of his eye. At 6 months old doctors checked his eyesight by putting him under anesthesia, the result, he was extremely nearsighted with a prescription of minus 12.25 and minus 11.5. The Perry’s then got Connor glasses and did eye exercises by patching of the better eye to strengthen the eye muscle.

When Connor was 13 ½ months old he had strabismus surgery to correct the misalignment of his eyes. With Strabismus one eye may be directed straight ahead while the other is turned inward (esotropia), outward (exotropia), upward (hypertropia), or downward (hypotropia). The misalignment may always be noticeable, or it may come and go. The misaligned eye may straighten at times and the straight eye may turn. Strabismus can occur in newborn babies, but it is more likely to appear later in infancy or early childhood. It can also occur in older children and adults. If treatment of strabismus is delayed, amblyopia (lazy eye) may develop, leading to loss of vision in the eye that is not being used. Strabismus is caused, or partially caused, by errors of refraction (the way light enters the eye), illness, injury or heredity.

The Perry’s were so happy when they were told at the follow up visit the surgery was a success. Since then Ashley has been asking the doctors to recheck Connor’s eyes. On March 11th the doctors finally did and the results were not good. His eyesight has gotten much worse. Trying to do everything they can for their little boy, Ashley and Mike made an appointment for March 25th at The Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, a worldwide leader and innovator in eye care, and has long been recognized for outstanding advancements in vision sciences and the highest quality patient care. Their appointment is with one of the best Ophthalmologists, Dr Joseph Demer, Chief of Comprehensive Ophthalmology. This visit and possible future surgeries will get very expensive, not to mention the constant cost of new glasses for Connor.

The Connor’s Vision Fund has been established to help Mike and Ashley with these unexpected costs. Any amount you can donate will help. Know that you are making a difference in this family’s life.

To Donate please make your check payable to Brittinny Allen
and mail to:

Brittinny Allen
2370 Etiwanda Street
San Diego, CA 92107

If you have any questions please contact Lori Jimenez at lorijimenez@cox.net or Brittinny Allen at britellyse@hotmail.com. Brittinny and Lori will give 100% of the donations to Mike and Ashley Perry. We will be accepting donations throughout the year. Thank you so much for your support!