Strathpine’s Renee Hyde is trying to raise money to send her blind daughter Tasha to China so she can have specialist treatment to give her the gift of sight.
For nine-year-old Tasha Hyde, the miracle of sight is $38,000 and 10,000km away.
The family of the youngster from Strathpine, who was born blind and has cerebral palsy, plans to fly to China in September for a unique treatment that could give Tasha the gift of sight.
Tasha’s mother Renee Hyde said the groundbreaking procedure, developed with the backing of the University of Beijing and only available in Qingdao, utilises umbilical cord stem cells to encourage the growth of a patient’s own regenerative cells.
"Her optic nerves never formed properly, so she’s been blind since birth," Mrs Hyde said.
"The optic nerves are the part between the eye and the brain, so her brain can send the message properly and eye can receive it, it’s just the part in between doesn’t work."
Initially expecting reservations and scepticism from local medical experts about the treatment, Mrs Hyde said doctors and eye specialists had given the family their blessing and had devised special testing regimes for before and after Tasha’s planned surgery.
"I found out about it (the treatment) about this time last year from another lady who is actually over there at the moment with her son," Mrs Hyde said.
"I did a lot of research for about four months because I was told from our doctors that there would never, even be a treatment that can fix it (Tasha’s blindness).
"It doesn’t work for everyone – there’s a 92 per cent chance it will work – so we decided even there was a one per cent chance we had to take it for her to give her a fuller life."
The Hydes are raising money for the trip to China and the surgery, expected to cost around $60,000, through the Tasha’s Hope for Sight appeal.
Mrs Hyde, who has given up work to dedicate herself to fundraising fulltime, said the family had pooled around one-third of the money needed to travel overseas.
She said the IGA supermarket at Strathpine donated five per cent of the store’s sales in December – around $7000 – to the cause, while the family also hosts raffles at Warner Tavern on Saturday afternoons.
However, with the six-month fundraising sanction for the appeal expiring at the end of April, Tasha’s family is desperate to raise another $38,000 over the next seven weeks.
"We are counting on the generous hearts of our local people, businesses and companies and churches to please step forward and support us by donating, as it’s the only way this miracle opportunity for our Tasha can be made possible," Mrs Hyde said.
"We appreciate every donation as it is a step closer for Tasha to live fuller life. At the moment Tasha needs us to do everything for her and once she gets her sight she’ll have a lot more independence.
"She’d be able to play with her brother, which would mean so much to him. The dream scenario for me is she wakes up and walks into my room and gives me a kiss on the cheek."
A fundraising breakfast will be held at Kallangur Norths Leagues Club on 28 March and a cent auction is planned for 10 April, to be held at the Strathpine Community Centre.
For more information, or to donate to the Tasha’s Hope for Sight appeal, phone 0430 821 261 or visit http://www.tashashopeforsight.com