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Gruia's story

Gruia's fight for sight

Hello, my name is Gruia and I was born together with my twin brother, Vlad on March 19, 2007. I am the older brother, by five minutes to be more exact. I am the bigger one too; I weighed 5.4 lbs at birth, whereas Vlad was only 4.1 lbs. Because we were born earlier than expected, my lungs were not fully developed, so the doctors gave me oxygen to help me breathe.

When we were five weeks old, we went for a regular eye checkup and the new doctors found out that there was something wrong with my eyes. The oxygen I received at birth had caused my retinas to grow abnormally and detach in both eyes. I was suffering from a condition called Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). My mommy and daddy were very scared because they didn't know what that meant for me. The one thing they could understand was that I would not be able to see, even though I had big beautiful blue eyes. Vlad's eyes were sick too. But he was suffering from a milder form of ROP, which eventually healed. Vlad is perfectly fine now.

That very same day I underwent retinal laser surgery, and a few days later my mommy and daddy took me to a specialized eye clinic in Germany. Unfortunately, it was simply too late to save my eyes. The German doctors sat with my mommy and daddy and explained them that I will never be able to see and that I will need all the support possible to enjoy a normal life together with my brother.

My mommy and daddy were very sad. My daddy worried that I wouldn't be able to play sports or to ride a bike, and mommy worried that I would never see her face or look at all the wonders in this world.

My mommy didn't want to accept that. For more than a year both mommy and daddy have looked for a treatment for my eyes. Finally, a few months ago a little boy from South Africa, suffering from the same condition as I, received treatment with good results. But he had to go far away to China. The treatment was expensive, but the little boy has now begun to see.

Even though I can't see at the moment, I consider myself a very lucky boy. Mom, dad and Vlad all love me very much and want to offer me the best in life. This also means that they are prepared to work hard to raise the money I need to receive the same treatment in China.

I really want to see. My sight may not be perfect, but at least I would be able to see my brother Vlad, my mommy and daddy, and maybe one day I will be able to ride the bicycle as well, as my daddy wishes.

Until this day comes for me, I love you all and

I look forward to see you!