Blind schoolgirl Keri Kelly will fly to China in the early hours of tomorrow morning hoping the miracle procedure to have her sight restored will be a success.
Little Keri, 9, from Buncrana, will fly to China for the procedure at the Beike Clinic in Qingdao with mum Tracey.
Keri, who has been blind since birth, was born with optic nerve hypoplasia which means her optic nerves have never grown.
However her family is hoping a ground-breaking stemcell treatment with help her see again.
The procedure, which will involve seven IV treatments and a lumber puncture, will take a couple of weeks and the family will not return to Ireland until November 1st.
Keri’s mum Kelly told DONEGALDAILY.COM she is excited but also very nervous about building up her daughter’s dreams so much in case the operation is not a success.
“We have nothing to lose but I would hate for Keri to go through all this and not for her sight to improve.
“She is very excited but I have to say that I am very nervous about it all,” said Tracey.
Tracey has spoken to a number of people from around the world including America and England who have had successful stem-cell procedures to have their sight restored.
“I only spoke to one person who had no benefit from the treatment and that gives me hope. Any improvement in her sight would mean so much to us,” she said.
Little Keri, a pupil at Scoil Iosagain in Buncrana, told her mum that the first things she wants to see is her face and a rainbow!
Keri’s younger sister Zoe, 5, will stay with her granny Celine Duffy for the month when her mum and sister are in China.
“She’s delighted and can’t wait to go on her ‘holidays’ to her gran’s which gives me peace of mind when I’m over there,” she said.
Tracey said she will be forever in debt to the people of Buncrana and Co Donegal who held charity football matches, sponsored walks and concerts to raise the €30,000 needed for the treatment.
“Their kindness has given Keri a chance for a new life and we will be forever in their debt no matter what happens. I can only thank them from the bottom of my heart,” she said.
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