The notion of children losing their sight is almost unbearably sad. Oddly, however, this emotional connection does not always translate into a large donor base for pediatric ophthalmology, says Michael Repka, M.D., M.B.A., the David L. Guyton, M.D., and Feduniak Family Professor of Ophthalmology, vice chair for clinical practice and chief of the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus at Wilmer.

But he had a notion of what to do about it.

Repka created the Pediatric Discovery Fund to pool many smaller donations into a fund that could be directed toward the most promising research in pediatric ophthalmology.

The Pediatric Discovery Fund is a tribute to David Guyton, M.D., the Zanvyl Krieger Professor of Pediatric Ophthalmology, for his 35 years of leadership of the pediatric division. The fund provides critical seed money for the pilot research projects of junior faculty members in pediatric ophthalmology, allowing them to get their nascent-but-promising ideas launched. The discoveries the researchers make can allow them to apply for larger grants from government organizations, like the National Institutes of Health.

“For early-career faculty members, this money is hard to come by but is essential to getting their research off the ground,” Repka says.

In one example that was made possible in part by a gift to the Pediatric Discovery Fund from the Israel & Mollie Myers Foundation, Wilmer assistant professor Megan Collins, M.D., M.P.H., laid the groundwork for her collaboration with private and public funding sources and government partners to improve academic performance and educational opportunities for low-income students in Baltimore through a program called Vision for Baltimore, which provides access to vision care and eyeglasses.

Another donor of great impact is Jane Asch. Her three adopted children all experienced some degree of vision problems, but the most challenging case involved her son, Andy. As an infant, he had an ocular cyst—a dermoid—that the doctors at first hoped might be removed when Andy was older. But months at home with a screaming baby told Asch that something more serious was wrong.

“My local ophthalmologist said, ‘There’s only one place that can help: Wilmer,’” Asch recalls.

That brought her to the care of Repka and surgeon Henry Jampel, M.D., M.H.S., the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Professor. Congenital glaucoma was the diagnosis. Jampel, a glaucoma specialist, performed three separate trabeculectomies —surgeries that relieved the mounting pressure in Andy’s eyes. Asch feared the worst, but then the milky white clouds in Andy’s eyes subsided.

“Andy was blind when I brought him to Wilmer. Now, he can see,” Asch says. “I have a miracle walking around.”

That extraordinary personal touch not only soothed Asch’s motherly worry for her child but also inspired her to become a donor to the Pediatric Discovery Fund. Asch continues to give in whatever measure she can so that others who might not have the resources she does can experience Wilmer’s exceptional care.

“Wilmer changed my son’s life, and I wanted to give back for this miracle I have received,” she says.

Repka, for his part, is impressed by the difference these donors make collectively. “There’s a lot of power in small donations, and there’s no shortage of needed programs to fund, so it’s a good match,” Repka says.