Ohio Girl Losing Her Vision Meets Pope Francis

Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
A young girl from Ohio suffering from an incurable disease can check meeting Pope Francis off her bucket list.

Five-year old Lizzy Myers's parents are hoping for a miracle. A miracle that would help her to lead a normal life and save her from living a lifetime in a world void of light and sound that she would be transported to in a few years. Lizzy Myers suffers from Usher syndrome type 2, a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by the loss of hearing and gradual visual impairment.

Ohio Girl Losing Her Vision Meets Pope Francis[/tweetthis]

She is already wearing a hearing aid. In a few years, she will probably go blind. She does not know that yet. Her parents are dreading the moment when they will have to eventually let her know about her condition. At present, Usher syndrome is incurable.

The future of Lizzy Myers certainly looks bleak as of now, however, there is one thing that she can definitely count on no matter what, and that is the unconditional support and love of her parents. This little girl from Ohio is definitely blessed with great parents. They are kind, loving, and intelligent.

As soon as Lizzy was diagnosed with the syndrome, her parents decided to help her to see and experience as many wonderful things in this world as possible. They made a “visual bucket list” for her. Steve and Christine Myers wants their daughter to have lifelong memories that she could recollect when she could no longer see. As of now they want her to enjoy the simple little things in life, like picking a flower, enjoying the sun/rain, petting a dog, and so on.

Meeting Pope Francis in Rome was part of the visual bucket list crafted by the Myers family. According to Steve Myers, it was not something that they thought was possible. Last Wednesday, however, Lizzy was able to cross that off from her list.

Lizzy was not only able to meet with Pope Francis but was able to get a kiss and a hug from the Holy Father. Pope Francis touched her little face during the brief meeting and laid his hands over her eyes as well. Christine Myers said she felt an overwhelming sense of peace after meeting with the Pontiff, who said he will pray for her, and asked her to pray for him.

The path to Rome was paved for the Myers family while crossing off a wish from the list, a visit to the Warren Rupp observatory near their home, for Lizzy to look at the moon through the giant telescope. A journalist, invited by someone at the observatory during the Myers family visit, placed the story of Lizzy Myers in front of the whole world.

The family started receiving generous offers once the story broke. One such offer was from the Turkish Airlines general manager, round-trip tickets to anywhere in the world. The Myers family chose Rome.

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