COLTON IS NOW IN EIGHTH GRADE, LIKES COMPUTER GAMES AND AND DRAMA CLUB.

He was diagnosed at five years old.  Here is what was written about him at that time (back in 2002):

When you see five-year-old Colton for the first time – the thing that pops into your head is: “Hey! There’s the kid from Jerry McGuire!”

The innocence of a child peaks out at you from behind those glasses. Like any other little boy, Colton loves to play video games and his hero is Superman. Sounds like he could be your child, doesn’t it?

But Colton is not your typical little boy. He has been diagnosed with a rare, degenerative disease known as Retinitis Pigmentosa, which causes blindness. Never heard of this disease? Well that’s not surprising. It may not be deadly like cancer but it certainly can change a little boy's life.

When we wake up each morning, we take for granted that we will view the sun rising and setting. Now imagine you’re a child who sees the world in shadows which over time will grow darker and darker until finally you can't see anything – EVER AGAIN! This is the reality that Colton, his mother Laura, and brother Bronson face each day.

Colton Chase was born on February 26, 1997. He was named after Colton and Chase Smith who died in the Oklahoma City Bombing. It wasn’t until he was about three that Laura noticed her son was running into things. They were sent to UCLA to have a series of tests done to determine the problem.

Can you imagine the fear and pain of having lasers and needles stuck into your eyes? No child should go through this! Doctors were not sure Colton would be able to handle such tests. But Laura knew her son. She sat him down and explained what was going to happen and told him he just had to sit still and he was going to have laser eyes just like Superman. With the bravery of his hero in his heart, Colton endured the tests and the diagnosis was made. Imagine Laura's heartbreak when doctors told her there is no treatment and no cure and that her baby will go blind.

Colton was prescribed glasses to help him see better for now. When he received his glasses Laura said he told her something she’ll always remember.

He said “Wow, Mom. You're so cute!”

Without his glasses, Colton had never really seen his mother's face. He only saw a shadowed image of her. Without proper research and funding (for that research), Colton will eventually go blind.

Laura took her son's plight to the public. She asked people all over the nation to send Colton photos of anything that they could: family vacations, pets, whatever! With Colton’s eyesight steadily deteriorating, these pictures may be his only chance to really “see” the world. The response has been enormous. Colton loves to go to the post office to check his mail. Sometimes he brings home boxes full of pictures and cards wishing them well.

“The pictures are wonderful,” Laura says, “Colton loves them, but we need to help find a cure for this disease.”

Although almost all of the mail is positive, Laura did receive a note claiming that she was only out to get things for free.

“I don’t want anything but for my son to see,” Laura states.

Many people have sent her money but she has returned it to them. Besides the pictures for Colton, All Laura wants is for people and organizations to make a donation to The Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Mail contributions here:

Foundation for Fighting Blindness
11435 Cronhill Drive
Owings Mills, MD 21117

“The more money they get for research,” Laura says, “the closer my son and others like him will come to keeping their eyesight.”
Doctors have told Laura that there is a 50% chance that Colton’s older brother Bronson may develop the disease also.

“I want everyone to know about this disease and the research that needs to be done to find a cure, Laura says, “I don’t want my son to lose his eyesight!”

Meanwhile Colton still enjoys watching his cartoons and being a child; but unless more research is funded, his days of watching Superman may soon be over. It could be years before he loses his sight, but it could also be months or even weeks. No one knows for sure.

Here is an NBC-TV news story about Colton: http://www.msnbc.com/local/kget/m186392.asp

http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/653362p-696275c.html

http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/669827p-712487c.html

http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/1661985p-1778890c.htmll

http://www.bakersfield.com/local/story/2899033p-2934537c.html

www.bakersfield.com  then search for Colton

 or go to http://www.gordonline.com/ and click on Colton's feature story link.

Colton's mom would like folks to send emails to the following people to let them know we are glad that they have helped Colton and we hope they can continue to do so:  

 info@dupont.com  (Website: http://www.dupont.com/)

fanclub@jeffgordon.com    (Website:  http://www.jeffgordon.com/)

fanfeedback@nascar.com    (Website:  http://www.nascar.com/)

foundation@jgiracing.com   (Website: http://www.jeffgordonfoundation.com/)

Please remember that instead of gifts, thi Foundation Fighting Blindness in order to save Colton's sight before it's too late for him.

 PLEASE

 Send the URL for this page to all your friends to help spread the word about Colton's plight and    HELP TO SAVE COLTON'S EYESIGHT.

"Please do not send gifts -- instead donate a couple of dollars toward research." Colton's mom is desperate to save her son's sight!  can get enough people to donate.  Even a couple of dollars will add up.

For email and snail mail addresses, personal web site URL, medical fund information, and a current list of interests and hobbies, visit our "Kids List" page.

For CURRENT UPDATES visit our updates page.