Source: WAFB

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A Baton Rouge mother is trying to raise the $60,000 it will take to pay for a specialized stem cell surgery overseas that may be able to restore her four-year-old daughter's sight. The girl's mother said if her daughter's vision is restored by the surgery, it's worth every cent.

Teosha Moore says her daughter, Trinity Schley, loves to make people laugh and she's good at it. "Trinity, she keeps us laughing. I promise," said Moore. Trinity was born with a rare condition that left her completely blind, so she sometimes runs into obstacles. "You want to hold my hand," Trinity asks her mom as she works to walk across the room. "No, sweep your cane," Moore told her. "She uses a walking cane which she learned at school."

Trinity's mom learned of her daughter's condition when her baby was only three months old. She tearfully remembers what the pediatrician told her. "Finally, he was like, ‘I just think this baby is blind.' I just never forget those words," said Moore. Since then, Moore discovered a possible solution that she first heard about on WAFB. It's a unique surgery, currently available only in China. It involves using umbilical cord stem cells to treat conditions like Trinity's. 

Moore says it worked for one local family and Trinity's doctors think it will also work for her. "Trinity, she's a happy child and she wakes up with a smile on her face every day. It'll just be such a pleasure if I could return the favor and she could see my face in the morning." Right now, Moore cannot afford the surgery. She set up a website, held a garage sale, and sold plate lunches to raise about $10,000 so far. The cutting edge procedure costs about $60,000.

"She loves the park. Having her be able to maneuver around the park (would be great), just the little things or whatever," said Moore. "That's a big girl!" Trinity exclaimed while walking on her own to her grandma.

Moore said she already reserved Trinity's hospital stay in China for this October. She is praying that somehow by then she'll be able to afford the surgery for Trinity's sight. You can visit any Neighbors Federal Credit Union and give to the "Trinity Schley trip to China" account. Click here for more information