From Left to Right, Dr. Jamie Ikeda, Dulce, and her parents before the surgery.
One morning, as Dulce’s mother, Monica, watched her daughter wake up, she noticed something alarming—Dulce’s eyes were unexpectedly crossed, and she was complaining of double vision and a painful sensitivity to light.
“This was concerning for us,” said Monica, her voice tinged with worry. “We recalled that about two weeks ago, she experienced vomiting every morning for a week. We rushed her to the hospital, praying they could help.”
In the ER, Dulce was initially diagnosed with Optic Neuritis, an inflammation of the optic nerve, and was sent home with oral steroids and an eye patch. They were advised to seek further care at Grace Medical Home, a place they had never heard of but would soon come to trust and rely on.
“As a mother, I worried how dangerous Dulce’s eye condition might be,” Monica shared. “Would it get worse? Could she lose her eyesight? Would she have future issues with her eyes?”
Once Dulce became a patient at Grace Medical Home, her care was entrusted to Michelle Cash, a compassionate pediatric APRN. Recognizing the urgency of Dulce’s condition, Michelle and the Care Coordination team worked tirelessly to secure an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist, one of Grace’s valued community partners.
Michelle didn’t just arrange the appointment—she accompanied Dulce and her family, ensuring they were supported every step of the way. The peds Ophthalmologist diagnosed Dulce with Acute Comitant Esotropia, a rare condition causing her eye to turn inward, resulting in double vision and light sensitivity. Surgery seemed inevitable. A pediatric Neurologist agreed that Dulce had Acute Comitant Esotropia and that eye surgery was necessary.
But the cost for the surgery—over $3,000, even with a discount—was an insurmountable barrier for Dulce’s family.
Yet, Michelle and the pediatric team refused to let financial obstacles stand in the way of Dulce’s care. Dr. Hardy, Pediatric Medical Director, and Stephanie Garris, Grace’s CEO, appealed to Nemours Children’s Health to donate the surgery. Nemours Children’s was willing to consider the case, and soon, hope was reignited.
When Dr. Jamie Ikeda, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Nemours Children’s, agreed to perform the surgery free of charge, it was nothing short of a miracle for Dulce and her family. The surgery was a success—Dulce’s eye alignment improved significantly, and the double vision that had once tormented her was gone.
“I am filled with relief that the operation was a huge success and that my daughter is fine now,” Monica expressed, her gratitude evident. “My family is thankful for the surgeon, for Michelle Cash, and for Josue, the nurse who was always there for us. Grace has done more than what is common at a regular medical office. The staff has always been great to us, showing nothing but kindness and attentiveness. I don’t think I would have ever found a better place than Grace Medical Home.”
Dulce’s story is a testament to the power of community, compassion, and a commitment to care that goes far beyond the ordinary. At Grace Medical Home, no challenge is too great, and no family is ever alone.
