Vernon, N.J. family reaches out to others with rare eye disorder (Peters anomaly)

star ledger ^ | July 05, 2009 | Joe Moszczynski

[Coleus]

Jennifer and Jason Bott knew immediately there was something terribly wrong with their newborn daughter. "Something in my heart said something was wrong," said Jennifer Bott, 31, whose daughter, Emily, was born with slightly misaligned eyes and "cloudy" corneas, a condition that was initially a mystery to the young Vernon parents -- as well as to their doctors.

"We were on such a high, to be parents again, and this was like a slap in the face. They didn't alert us of any problems until the next day," added 32-year-old Jason Bott. The Botts eventually learned their daughter, now 20 months old, has Peters anomaly, a rare congenital condition that damages the anatomy of a child's eyes. It is frequently associated with glaucoma, which Emily also suffers from despite her young age.

Peters anomaly takes its name from German ophthalmologist Alfred Peters, who described it in 1906. The condition is generally caused by a developmental problem during the first 10-16 weeks of pregnancy. "We weren't prepared for this at all, and it was a long time before we got any answers," said Jennifer Bott.

Why Emily developed the disorder remains a mystery to the Botts, who have two other perfectly healthy children, Matthew, 6, and Tyler, 4. They have no history of the condition in their families, as far as they can tell; Jennifer's mother was adopted and only has a sketchy medical history. Since her birth, Emily has undergone an astounding 12 surgeries on her eyes, including three cornea transplants, the most recent performed last month to replace a cornea that was rejected. Five of the surgeries were performed to address her glaucoma.

"She's a tough kid," said Jason, as Emily played with her two older brothers in the family kitchen. "She's never-ending happiness.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

Poor baby! I work for an Ophthalmologist and rarely we see children in for congenital problems. Prayers up for the baby and family!