Delta Gamma Center 19th Annual Run for Sight - Team Avery / Team Margaret

Last year, Team Avery (and the Geary family) introduced the McPheeters to both the Delta Gamma Run for Sight and sweet Avery Claire, who has been going through so many of the same struggles as Margaret. Avery lived just down the street from Margaret in Kirkwood, they were born just hours apart, and both girls have cataracts! The similarities don't stop there, but I'll keep this brief. This year, we decided to let the girls team up and start a fundraising team together for the 2011 Run for Sight.
Let us introduce you to TEAM AVERY / TEAM MARGARET!

[b]Avery's Story:[/b]

Please check out Avery Claire's amazing story at [url=http://teamaveryclaire.blogspot.com]teamaveryclaire.blogspot.com[/url]. If you prefer to send a check to avoid processing fees, email me at esgeary@gmail.com or send a check to my address at 141 LaGrange Place, Macon GA 31210 (please make the check out to Delta Gamma Center).


[b]Margaret's Story:[/b]
As many of you know (and many of you don't), my daughter is stronger than anyone I know. I'm not nearly as together as Erin to maintain (or even start) a blog, so I'll share our story here...Margaret was born with congenital cataracts, and had her first of many surgeries when she was just 2 weeks old. We had a plan...surgically remove her natural lens (the cataract), have her fitted for a contact lens, wear an eye patch several hours a day, put her in arm restraints so she can't remove that patch, and in a couple of years, have a lens surgically implanted to give her close to 20/20 vision...for nearly a year, we stuck with that plan, and though I felt like I was torturing her, I knew there was a reason and a plan. Unfortunately, when she was 9 months old, Margaret developed glaucoma which went undetected long enough to destroy her optic nerve. Not a day goes by that I don't ask myself what would have happened if I had listened to that voice inside me and had taken her to the ER. She has since developed strabismus and amblyopia, and despite a series of surgeries, procedures, patch therapies and medications, Margaret has lost nearly all vision in her right eye. Her fifth and sixth surgeries were on March 15, 2011. Margaret received an intraocular lens implant (to replace the contact lens that we have put in every morning and taken out every night since she was just 2 weeks old), and she had a glaucoma procedure (to hopefully limit the medication she currently gets twice a day). Since the optic nerve is so badly damaged, Margaret will not suddenly regain sight after this surgery. However, nearly every day, I dream about the future...when something can be done to help regenerate or replace an optic nerve. So, I wanted Margaret to have this surgery so that all of the anatomy is there...just in case, in her lifetime, there is a cure. Lots of unknowns, lots of fear, but also lots of hope!!! I had been nervous, hesitating and putting off this surgery (it literally breaks a piece of my heart to watch them take her back, to hold her coming out of surgeries - she doesn't understand why we're doing this), but after seeing the amazing success that Avery had with her IOL implants just months ago, I was inspired, and I am incredibly excited to see what kind of results Margaret gets. We are now 6 days post-surgery. Margaret is doing pretty well - a little fussy, which could be due to a little discomfort from the surgery, or it could be because she's a four year old girl. I can't wait to go back to the surgeon in just 2 days to check her eye pressure, and test whether she can see anything! One of the doctors in the office seems to think that just because her optic nerve looks useless, it doesn't mean that there aren't parts of it that can still transmit, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed...just in case! I will update this page as soon as there's anything more to report!

We would like to ask you to help our daughters make a difference and support this wonderful organization by participating in the run or walk on Sunday, May 1, 2011. Running has become such an outlet for both Erin and Jenny, and the Run for Sight is especially important to us. If you cannot participate, please consider making a donation to the Delta Gamma Center. All proceeds from the run go to the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments. For more information about the center, please visit their site at [url=http://www.dgckids.org.]www.dgckids.org.[/url]

Whether you run, walk or just come to cheer us on, we hope to see all of you there!

Love,
Erin, Brian and Avery Geary
and
Jenny, Alex and Margaret McPheeters

p.s. To avoid processing fees, you may make a tax deductible contribution by mailing a check directly to the Delta Gamma Center, 1750 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, MO 63117. If you put Team Avery/Team Margaret in the memo line, your donation will count toward our goal!

Contributors on Behalf of Team Avery / Team Margaret

1. Constance McPheeters
2. Charles & Christina Bascom
3. LeLe Applegate, Sam Applegate, Bill Applegate, Liza Applegate
4. The Finan Family
5. Tiffiny & Bryan Weidner
6. Jennifer Scott
7. Laney Hunter, Ellie Hunter, Clay Hunter, Katie Hunter
8. Dean Sliney, Colleen Sliney, Margaret Sliney, Bridget Sliney
9. Sumner Charles, Jennifer Charles
10. Anonymous
11. Liz Craft
12. Ben Peck, Dawn Peck
13. Anonymous
14. Grace Coppel, Willy Coppel, Bill Coppel, Kathy Fulton
15. Kalyani Prasad
16. Colten Gall, Barrett Gall, Russell Gall, Kim Gall
17. Anne Korb
18. Erin Clarke
19. Michael Kissel
20. Hilary Von Rohr
21. Jody Capdeboscq
22. Elizabeth Rickard
23. Phil &Cathy Douglas
24. Phyllis Swindells
25. David & Jany Martin
26. Mark, Stephanie & Lily Schnuck
27. Whitney Overby
28. Kelly Girsch
29. Julie Briggs
30. Adam & Beth Taich
31. Margaret McPheeters, Patrick McPheeters, Alex McPheeters, Jenny McPheeters
32. Jim Hoffmann, Valerie Hoffmann
33. Kate Hughes, Charlie Hughes, Greg Hughes, Lynn Hughes
34. Regan Flaherty
35. Lorraine Hawley
36. Kellie Hynes
37. michelle mitchell-bromfman
38. Bridget Fitzgerald, Allison Fitzgerald, Cindy Fitzgerald, Matt Fitzgerald
39. Erin Castellano, Annie Castellano
40. Auden Geary, Avery Claire Geary, Brian Geary, Erin Geary
41. Layne Humphrey, Cooper Humphrey, Michael Atkinson, Jennifer Humphrey
42. Michael Todorovich, Katie Todorovich, Alexandra Todorovich, Claire Todorovich
43. Anonymous
44. Chloe Foerster, John Foerster, Janeen Foerster
45. Jack Tipton, Holt Tipton, kevin tipton, katie tipton
46. Mary Catherine Sotiriou, Reno Sotiriou, Evan Sotiriou, Catherine Sotiriou
47. Tess Hannum, Carey Hannum
48. Lew Murray, James Murray, Mark Murray, hannah murray
49. Kate Gray, Peter gray, Abby Gray, Molly Gray
50. Anna Crutchfield, Amanda Pollock
51. Julia Blanchard, Eric Blanchard, Ladona Blanchard
52. Joey Barringhaus, Bentley Barringhaus, Brigid Barringhaus
53. Alex Bierling, Ainsley Bierling, Eric Bierling, Jennifer Bierling
54. LUKAS BUTLER, BAILEY BUTLER, CLINT BUTLER, HOLLY BUTLER
55. Mathew Birch, Catherine Birch, Elizabeth Birch, Ellen Birch
56. Jami Dix
57. Jastin Antisdel, Jamie Antisdel
58. Todd Bromfman
59. Molly Gray
60. Kay Rehm
61. Bridget Unger
62. Meems & Bobs -
63. Ronald Koble
64. Angela Wood
65. Kristine Hettenhausen
66. Rachel Dewey
67. Bill and Beatty Watts
68. Elizabeth Mexted
69. Carol Talton
70. Kevin, Katie, Holt, Jack Tipton
71. Ali,Davey,Tuck,Coop,Finnley Desloge
72. Greg Roberts
73. David Grosshans
74. Amanda Baggett
75. Stacy Lester
76. Hana Taylor
77. brittany harris
78. Kelley Putnam
79. Carrie Meyer
80. Audrey Tucker, Lindsey Tucker
81. Michael Young, Jill Young
82. Leif Bergquist, Eleanor Bergquist
83. Gio La Fata, Jessica La Fata
84. Tommy Goodman, Katie Goodman
85. Mary Fitzgerald, John Fitzgerald
86. Stephanie Gaines, Sarah Reading
87. audrey rickard, david rickard
88. Alison Desloge, David Desloge
89. Bennett Janosky, Laura Janosky
90. Annie King
91. Lori Roth
92. Jennifer Knuckles
93. Kathleen Gee
94. Jodie Tews
95. Margaret Donnelly
96. Lauren Brown
97. Laura Peoples
98. Adam & Kristen (Clay) Barnes
99. Amanda Hehmeyer
100. Debbie Thole
101. Cori Wilson
102. Stephanie Bentzel
103. Beth Flach
104. Michelle Baumstark
105. Laura Todd
106. Jamie Collins
107. Angela Gray
108. Ann Knese
109. Liz Harry
110. Jeff Giles
111. Anonymous
112. Shannon Colquhoun
113. Kristin Schutzenhofer
114. Jacqueline Byrne
115. mary robichaux
116. Jeryn Follas
117. Missy Jensen
118. sheila jones
119. Marya Leaich
120. Shernina Nichols
121. Maggi Fitzgerald
122. Jordan Dix
123. Kerrie Hilton
124. Ella Nichols
125. Tatyana Vasylenko
126. Annie Rosenkoetter
127. The LaRossa Keune Family
128. Anonymous
129. Missy, William & Miles Jensen
130. Anonymous
131. Emily Beumer
132. Kelly and Chad Clutes Clutes

Team Avery / Team Margaret has raised $2,540.00.
Team Avery / Team Margaret has a goal of raising $6,000.00.

progress: 42.33%