Story of Hope Vision Foundation

As with many beginnings, Hope Vision Foundation started with a simple conversation. It started with two sisters, Erin Seefeldt and Genevieve Rodgers-Llerena, talking about their day.

Erin had to tell another patient that they had vision loss and that there was nothing more that she could do to help them. It was all to often that she had a patient crying on her shoulder because they were scared of what would happen as they, or their loved one, lost their vision. As an Ophthalmologist, she knew that there was therapy that would help her patients learn how to best use their remaining vision, but it just wasn’t available. As a parent of a disabled child Genevieve could empathize. She knew just how scary it is when faced with a permanent disability.  When her son was a few months old he was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy.  She knew how frustrating it can be trying to find services that will help your family. She had spent eight years doing just that.

Erin and Genevieve decided that this was an issue that they could do something about. With Erin’s background in medicine and Genevieve’s background in business, they could create a foundation that would provide the services that people with vision loss need. And, they believed, that with help from the community, colleagues and friends they could create a place where people could receive full vision care and rehabilitation therapy without cost. It’s important that no patient be turned away because of lack of insurance or lack of funds and that no one is given hope that there’s therapy and adaptive devices that will help them, knowing they couldn’t afford them. They knew it wouldn’t be easy, so they started to recruit likeminded physicians, nurses, eye care specialists and local business people help make the foundation a reality.

And here we are just one year later ready to open the first vision center of its kind in the Tacoma and South Puget Sound area. Opening the Vision Center where people can receive cost free care takes more than just time and effort.  It takes money too.  With $75,000 we can open our doors on January 1st.  This is an ambitious goal, but we believe that people in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound area deserve comprehensive vision care. We hope that you will support us and help make the Hope Vision Center a reality.

Thank you!

Erin Seefeldt, MD
Genevieve Rodgers-Llerena

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