A young Lebanon County woman who has been battling retinal blindness for most of her life is spearheading a fundraiser this Saturday to raise funds to support research for a cure of the CRB1 degenerative retinal disease in children.
The Cocktails for a Cure Benefit Auction, now marking 10 years of fundraising for the cause, returns this year with a glamorous Hollywood Style theme.
The event invites guests to walk the red carpet and enjoy an evening packed with exquisite food, drinks, and entertainment. The auction, including live and silent bidding alongside raffles and a wine pull, benefits the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation.
According to the release, RP affects about 100,000 people in the United States, including 20-year-old Gracyn Smith of Lebanon County. Smith, a sophomore at Coastal Carolina University, was diagnosed with RP at age 5 and, as the disease progressed, it has affected her night, peripheral and central vision. Other symptoms of RP can include loss of color perception and sensitivity to bright light.
Cocktails for a Cure begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center, 80 Rocherty Road, Lebanon. To date, the decade-old event has raised more than $1 million toward research.
Tickets and more information are available online.
Read More: A cure is in sight: Cocktails for a Cure benefit auction funds CRB1 research
Gracyn, an ELCO graduate, said in the release that one of the more challenging aspects of RP is having to ask for assistance when moving about or performing certain tasks. Her visual limitations also make it difficult in the classroom, where concepts are often illustrated on a whiteboard or other screen, but Gracyn remains hopeful retinal blindness can be cured.
She is working through the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation to promote research and raise awareness for a cure. According to the release, researchers are studying new gene therapies, medications and treatments to prevent and reverse vision loss caused by RB and similar diseases.
House Resolution 349, sponsored by state Reps. John Schlegel (R-101st) and Russ Diamond (R-102nd), among others, was adopted April 17 to designate April 2024 as Retinal Blindness Awareness Month in recognition of Smith’s efforts.
“Several retinal diseases can result in blindness, including Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a rare genetic condition that causes light-detecting cells in the retina to breakdown. This condition typically begins in childhood or adolescence. It is progressive and has no cure,” Schlegel said in a statement.
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