Sydney's Story

At a little more than 2-years-old Sydney Schaumburg's already marked many milestones... learning to walk, talk, even share with her big brother. But the biggest challenge ahead isn't learning to read, it's seeing. "When she was about 2 months old we could tell she was having trouble seeing," says Sydney's mom Dana Schaumburg. "Her eyes would always dart back and forth." That's because Sydney was born with cataracts in both eyes. Since then, Doctors have tried everything from glasses inches thick to lens implants. "It's been pretty horrible at times because when she was a baby and maybe within even a year ago they would have to hold her down and clamp her eye open while she was awake," Schaumburg says. Nearly 50 trips later, specialists thought they had a solution: a cornea transplant. But Sydney still can't see out of her left eye. "You really you have to have faith," Schaumburg says. "I wish for her to get better," says Sydney's brother Colin. And they aren't the only ones hoping for a miracle. Countless friends and neighbors have the same wish. And they're stepping in with signs of encouragement, cards, even cash to make sure Sydney's story ends up a happy one. "This is going to be a positive somehow. Maybe for her to help other people. She has a goal I'm sure. I just don't know what it is yet."