Vision for the future bracelets

"Two of my cousins, Emma and Nathan, were diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease a little more than a year ago.  Currently, there are no treatments for Stargardt’s which results in macular degeneration in about one in every 10,000 children.  My cousins mean a lot to me, and I was determined to do something to help.

Some people I know had made donations for cancer research and wore yellow rubber wristbands, so I thought I could create similar ones to benefit vision research.  My dad offered to cover the cost of designing and producing our “Vision for the Future” blue wristbands so that all the money raised would support research at the Schepens Eye Research Institute in Boston.

I started with my friends and other people at school and in our neighborhood.  So far, I’ve sold hundreds of wristbands and raised more than $14,000 for the Institute.  What really makes me happy is that now other people in Boston, Italy and Germany have become interested in my project and are raising money with these blue wristbands as well.

I know research can take a long time, but I felt it was very important to do something to help my cousins and other children.  The work at Schepens Institute is the best in the country, so I wanted to make sure the wristbands supported the researchers there."

In recognition of her efforts, Kelsey won an award from her local Kohl's Department Store through their national Kohl's Kids Who Care Youth Volunteer Recognition Program.   This is a three-tiered program honoring youngsters for their community volunteer efforts.

Kelsey's fundraising initiative has inspired others to follow suit, and other young people have decided to bring the “Vision for the Future” wristband initiative to their schools.

If you would like to support Kelsey's efforts by purchasing an wristband, please contact Melanie Saunders at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling 617-912-2564.

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