Seattle family’s mission: From Violet’s blindness to global action on preventable blindness

Around the world, a child loses their sight every minute, and 80 percent of these cases are preventable or treatable. It’s a staggering reality, but for many children, the battle for sight can be won—if they have access to the proper care.

One local family knows this all too well. The saying, “A winnable battle should never be lost,” resonates deeply with them, especially regarding their daughter and granddaughter, Violet. Born completely blind, Violet was diagnosed with total bilateral congenital cataracts. Her lenses, which should have been clear, were instead completely clouded.

Fortunately, because the family lives in a place with advanced medical care and the means to access it, Violet was diagnosed at just 10 weeks old. She had her first surgery a week later—before too much irreversible damage could occur. Violet’s journey could have been very different without the timely intervention, and her family knows how fortunate they are.

There are families, both around the world and here in America, just like Violet’s, who lack the medical infrastructure and resources to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate their children in time. Many of these children could have the gift of sight if only they had access to proper care. That’s why Violet's family started Violet Sees—an organization dedicated to preventing childhood blindness and ensuring families get the needed help.

Violet Sees covers the cost of glasses, ensuring that even basic vision impairments don’t hinder a child’s future.

The organization also works to expand and improve vision screening programs so more children can be screened as early as possible—crucial for preventing long-term damage. Additionally, it funds research to find the best treatments for childhood vision conditions, ensuring more children can receive life-changing care.

The Violet Sees Fund for Pediatric Ophthalmology Research has provided crucial support to Dr. Michelle Cabrera, professor and director of pediatric ophthalmology, and Dr. Andrew Stacey, associate professor and director of ocular oncology, over the past five years, enabling them to expand their research and improve patient care.

In the Cabrera lab, the fund has been instrumental in advancing the development of a non-contact eye imaging device for premature newborns. This handheld device uses cutting-edge technology to scan a newborn’s eyes without physical contact, eliminating the need for additional medications or eye drops. The device employs optical coherence tomography (OCT), a technology that uses light waves to capture high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina. Dr. Cabrera’s research analyzes these OCT images to identify key features and patterns that can predict the risk of blindness from Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of vision loss in premature infants.

For Dr. Stacey, support from the Violet Sees Fund has enabled groundbreaking research on retinoblastoma, a rare but serious eye cancer in children. This hereditary disease develops from cell mutations in the retina, and the funding is fueling efforts to develop a gene therapy approach that aims to stop these mutations before tumors can form—potentially halting retinoblastoma in its tracks. The funding also supports advancements in early detection, a critical factor in improving outcomes for children affected by this devastating condition.

The work of Violet Sees is a testament to the power of hope, determination, and the belief that every child deserves the chance to see the world around them. Violet’s journey from blindness to sight reminds us that access to timely medical care can make all the difference, but for many families around the world, this access is still out of reach.

For more information on Violet Sees, visit violetsees.org. To support this fund, visit give.uwmedicine.org/Violet Sees Fund for Pediatric Ophthalmology Research.