Community can band together for Macie

Colors, shapes and pictures are a few of our daily visuals. Children spend hours in front of a television watching iCarly and Spongebob Squarepants. Some kids play video games while others play sports. These daily rituals are never rethought, except in the case of one local student.

Macie Ann Siscoe, 9, and her family found out Nov. 30, 2010 that she is slowly losing her ability to enjoy these typical daily activities. She is suffering from an advanced case of Stargardt's disease, which is gradually taking away her eyesight.

Siscoe lives in Sullivan, attends Linton-Stockton Elementary School and her mother, Amber Siscoe, is a kindergarten teacher at Linton-Stockton.

As she gets older, she might not get all the same privileges as the other children her age. At 16, she may not be learning to drive a car and getting her license. She might miss out on the visual gratification of seeing her peers, looking at a smile and seeing a popular movie on the big screen, unless she and her family can find a treatment to reverse the effects of the disease.

Much of her personal life will be unaffected as long as she remains positive. She will still be the same budding young lady and will not let any physical handicap get in the way of her success.

Siscoe and her family have been traveling across the United States to help her get acquainted with the vision loss, as well as search for some answers.

Siscoe took a trip to Florida to attend a Braille convention. She spent time in Detroit, Mich., speaking with doctors to see if there were any treatments available.

The family received word of a doctor in Connecticut that had some success with eye drops, and he was the next stop on their list to visit, according to family friend Jerry Meier.

Siscoe is adjusting well, considering the vision loss is gradual, Meier said.

She is coping with the vision loss well, mostly because of her intelligence. Despite her young age, she understands completely what is going on with her eyesight.

"It is hard to say how much the treatments will cost because they are not sure what treatment she (Siscoe) will be going through," Meier said in a previous interview.

Multiple doctor visits and Braille convention costs add up quickly, so the family needs to raise as much money as possible to keep them on their feet.

There will be an auction and gospel sing at the Sullivan County Fairgrounds on Saturday from 12:30-7:30 p.m. for Macie.

Fifteen gospel groups and singers will be performing, and there will be meals for sale. Meals will cost $8 for adults, $4 for children 4 to 12-years-old, and children 3 and under can eat free.

There will be a multitude of auction items, including a gift card for Baesler's Market in Terre Haute, a rug from Flooring America, a helmet from Speedway Motors, 32 ounce carpet stain remover and 32 ounce tile and grout cleaner from Ross's Floor Store, a pair of earrings from Charlotte's Boutique, a free pedicure from Nikki's Salon in Linton and several others.

We should band together as a community and help preserve something that we find precious. Her eyesight can hopefully be saved.

For more information or to purchase meal tickets in advance, call Macie's Mission at (812) 564-1157 or Jerry Meier at (812) 268-3163.