The Gift of Sight

Eight-year-old David is an enthusiastic student that loves to read animal books and build with Legos. Although, David’s passions for reading and learning have been complicated by a severe medical condition affecting his eyesight.

David is battling neurofibromatosis, a condition that causes tumors to form in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in addition to secondary glaucoma. His eyesight is severely threatened by the disease. David recently underwent an operation to remove a growing tumor behind his left eye in an effort to save his vision. The operation was unsuccessful and David lost all sight in his left eye.

Brianna Jensen, David’s teacher at Emerson Spanish Immersion school in Minneapolis, has always been moved by David’s strong perseverance and positive disposition despite the extraordinary setbacks he confronts every day.

“David is an amazingly sweet, shy, happy boy who tries incredibly hard at school and loves to read,” Brianna said. “As his teacher, it just breaks my heart seeing him squint out of his old glasses with one good eye to read a book.”

Brianna learned from David’s mother that he needed new eyeglasses to support his good eye and specialty eyedrops. These expenses, in addition to David’s recent surgery and ongoing medication treating neurofibromatosis, put a large financial burden on David’s mother.

David and his mom and siblings are a tight-knit, hard-working, resilient family who are very dedicated to their education, but they have been faced with many barriers to getting the healthcare that David needs.

To help this deserving family, Brianna submitted a wish to Choice Bank’s Wishing Well and we were overjoyed to be able to help cover the costs for David’s new glasses, specialty eye drops, and medications he continues to take for his neurofibromatosis.

Choice Bank presented David and his mother with a check for $3,500 to cover his medical expenses, so he can continue to read his favorite animal books and live his life to the fullest.

“This is going to really help with his new glasses and eye drops,” David’s mother said. “With this help, it’ll be so much easier for us now.”

David said he was really happy to have the new glasses and eye drops to help his sight, but what he is most excited about is being able to swim and play this summer with clearer vision. To see someone like David remain optimistic and joyful despite the challenges he faces is an inspiration to us all.

“I just think that his family is so deserving,” Brianna said. “They’re so dedicated to education, and they will do whatever it takes. They’ll come walking to school even though they don’t have a car. They’re just a really good family with good morals and intentions. I just think they’re the perfect family to receive something like this.”

The Choice Bank Wishing Well is accepting wishes! Ready to cast yours? Visit choicewishingwell.com and let us know who you would like to help out in your community.