A 13-year-old Pasco County boy has trouble seeing right now, but there may be a solution in sight.
- Dennis Bechtle, 13, suffers from an incurable eye condition
- eSight device improved Dennis' vision from 20/200 at 10 feet to 20/20
- Device made in Canada, costs $15,000
Dennis Bechtle, 13, suffers from an incurable condition called Cone-Rod Dystrophy, which often leads to early vision impairment.
“Glasses don't work, contacts don't work," said Bechtle.
Recently, however, he and his family tried out a product called eSight after his doctor’s recommendation. The results were astounding.
“When he went from 20/200 at 10 feet to 20/20 our mouths just dropped," said Dennis’ mother, Francette Bechtle.
The eSight device resembles large, virtual-reality glasses. It could represent for Bechtle something others take for granted: the ability to see well for the foreseeable future.
“It would allow me to see further than I can now,” said Bechtle. “It would allow me to change the contrast so things that I can't see I would be able to see, and it could possibly allow me to drive."
But there’s a catch -- eSight is made in Canada, and the Bechtles say insurance won’t cover the $15,000 cost. So they’re turning to the public for help.
“He's a straight ‘A’ student, I know he's going to go off to college, I don't want him to have to face any barriers,” said Francette. “This device can give him so much independence."
The family has created a GoFundMe page in order to raise money to pay for the device. They are also hosting a corn hole tournament fundraiser.
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