Colorado Ice kicker Deric Yaussi, left, has started a fund to benefit Macie Morse, right, who suffers from blindness caused by optic nerve hypoplasia. The fund, known as Kickin it for Macie, accepts pledge amounts for every point Yaussi kicks this season.
Kickin It for Macie
To help Macie Morse out, send donations to Macie's Vision Quest, c/o Warren Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1319, Wellington, CO, 80549.
What is optic nerve hypoplasia?
"Hypoplasia" means smaller than normal. Optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) refers to small or underdevelopment of the nerve which transmits vision signals from the eye to the brain. This is usually associated with permanent vision loss, which may be mild or severe. ONH may affect either one or both eyes.Source: American Association for Pediactric Ophthamology and Strabismus.
Kicker's points worth more than wins for local teenBY SEAN DUFF SeanDuff@coloradoan.com
Every point Colorado Ice kicker Deric Yaussi scores is critical for his football team.
But the field goals and extra points he puts through the uprights are crucial for Macie Morse, a 15-year-old ninth grader who attends Wellington Junior High School.
Morse, an Idaho native whose family moved eight years ago to Wellington, was born with optic nerve hypoplasia.
The medical definition of hypoplasia means smaller than normal. Optic nerve hypoplasia refers to underdevelopment of the nerve which transmits vision signals from the eye to the brain.
In layman's terms, she can't see.
Morse, an articulate, thoughtful teen-ager, described it this way.
"It's the cord that connects from the eye to the brain that sends information from what your eye sees to the brain," Morse said. "That cord didn't fully develop. My left eye didn't develop at all; my right eye has a little bit."
Morse said she can see well enough out of her right eye to walk, and she can read print if it's 3 or 4 inches from her face. That's about the extent of her vision, though.
The impairment has made life difficult for Morse, her mother, Rochelle Morse, said.
"It's not pretty how she is treated at school," Rochelle said. "She gets made fun of a lot; she takes a lot of physical abuse. Kids are mean; they're awful, tripping her and pushing her into lockers and stuff."
It was during these trying times that Randy Yaussi, Deric's father and a longtime Poudre School District educator and coach, was filling in as principal at Wellington Junior High.
"He got to see how Macie was treated," Morse said. "He said he had to go into his office with tears in his eyes."
There is no treatment for OPN in the United States. But while searching the Internet one day, Morse came across a treatment program in China.
"They're doing stem-cell injections in China on kids with ONH that seem to be working," Morse said. "They're actually all different kinds of places - Mexico, Dominican Republic, South Africa. The reason we chose China is they're adding nerve growth as well."
Morse said the cost of the treatment and travel to China is about $30,000. And that's where the Yaussi family came up with a plan to help raise money for Macie Morse.
"I've known Macie for a while," said Deric Yaussi, a former Poudre High student whose mother, Carol, and Rochelle Morse work together at the school. "I wanted to do something to help her get her sight. The best position for me playing for the Ice was to have a fundraiser. I can raise money for every point I make."
So Yaussi started Kickin It for Macie, where people can pledge any amount of money for every point he makes in the United Indoor Football league season or just give an outright donation. The Ice (1-3) plays its home opener tonight against the Billings Outlaws, and Yaussi has scored 35points in the first four games.
"She's a great girl," Yaussi said. "Some of the things she's had to go through, like getting her head pushed into a locker, are things no one should have to go through."
Rochelle Morse said about $2,000 has been raised so far. She's hoping the Kickin It for Macie campaign will bring her family much closer to their goal of $30,000. The family is hoping to go to China by Christmas.
"The more I score, the more I help the team and help Macie," Yaussi said. "It benefits both."
Macie, who describes Yaussi as a "football hunk," says she is very happy at having a chance to see.
"I can't imagine what it would be like," Macie said. "I've dreamt about it forever.
"My first thing I want to see is my mom. Then I want to see as much as possible."
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/SPORTS/804100352/1006/SPORTS
Kickin It for Macie
To help Macie Morse out, send donations to Macie's Vision Quest, c/o Warren Federal Credit Union, P.O. Box 1319, Wellington, CO, 80549.
What is optic nerve hypoplasia?
"Hypoplasia" means smaller than normal. Optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH) refers to small or underdevelopment of the nerve which transmits vision signals from the eye to the brain. This is usually associated with permanent vision loss, which may be mild or severe. ONH may affect either one or both eyes.Source: American Association for Pediactric Ophthamology and Strabismus.
Kicker's points worth more than wins for local teenBY SEAN DUFF SeanDuff@coloradoan.com
Every point Colorado Ice kicker Deric Yaussi scores is critical for his football team.
But the field goals and extra points he puts through the uprights are crucial for Macie Morse, a 15-year-old ninth grader who attends Wellington Junior High School.
Morse, an Idaho native whose family moved eight years ago to Wellington, was born with optic nerve hypoplasia.
The medical definition of hypoplasia means smaller than normal. Optic nerve hypoplasia refers to underdevelopment of the nerve which transmits vision signals from the eye to the brain.
In layman's terms, she can't see.
Morse, an articulate, thoughtful teen-ager, described it this way.
"It's the cord that connects from the eye to the brain that sends information from what your eye sees to the brain," Morse said. "That cord didn't fully develop. My left eye didn't develop at all; my right eye has a little bit."
Morse said she can see well enough out of her right eye to walk, and she can read print if it's 3 or 4 inches from her face. That's about the extent of her vision, though.
The impairment has made life difficult for Morse, her mother, Rochelle Morse, said.
"It's not pretty how she is treated at school," Rochelle said. "She gets made fun of a lot; she takes a lot of physical abuse. Kids are mean; they're awful, tripping her and pushing her into lockers and stuff."
It was during these trying times that Randy Yaussi, Deric's father and a longtime Poudre School District educator and coach, was filling in as principal at Wellington Junior High.
"He got to see how Macie was treated," Morse said. "He said he had to go into his office with tears in his eyes."
There is no treatment for OPN in the United States. But while searching the Internet one day, Morse came across a treatment program in China.
"They're doing stem-cell injections in China on kids with ONH that seem to be working," Morse said. "They're actually all different kinds of places - Mexico, Dominican Republic, South Africa. The reason we chose China is they're adding nerve growth as well."
Morse said the cost of the treatment and travel to China is about $30,000. And that's where the Yaussi family came up with a plan to help raise money for Macie Morse.
"I've known Macie for a while," said Deric Yaussi, a former Poudre High student whose mother, Carol, and Rochelle Morse work together at the school. "I wanted to do something to help her get her sight. The best position for me playing for the Ice was to have a fundraiser. I can raise money for every point I make."
So Yaussi started Kickin It for Macie, where people can pledge any amount of money for every point he makes in the United Indoor Football league season or just give an outright donation. The Ice (1-3) plays its home opener tonight against the Billings Outlaws, and Yaussi has scored 35points in the first four games.
"She's a great girl," Yaussi said. "Some of the things she's had to go through, like getting her head pushed into a locker, are things no one should have to go through."
Rochelle Morse said about $2,000 has been raised so far. She's hoping the Kickin It for Macie campaign will bring her family much closer to their goal of $30,000. The family is hoping to go to China by Christmas.
"The more I score, the more I help the team and help Macie," Yaussi said. "It benefits both."
Macie, who describes Yaussi as a "football hunk," says she is very happy at having a chance to see.
"I can't imagine what it would be like," Macie said. "I've dreamt about it forever.
"My first thing I want to see is my mom. Then I want to see as much as possible."
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/SPORTS/804100352/1006/SPORTS
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