My Pretend Book

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May 22, 2010 6:23 PM CDT
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By Jamie Hersch - bio email Twitter Facebook
MONONA (WKOW) -- A mother from Monona is fighting to give her legally blind son a chance to see.
The Albrecht family has waited 14 years for a surgery that could cure their son Colton's blindness.
The good news: the surgery will be ready for him to try in just two more years. The bad news: it's going to cost about $65,000 per eye and insurance doesn't cover it.
For years, Colton has cheered on his siblings in sports, but only from the sidelines.
Colton was born at just 24 weeks gestation, weighing one pound, four ounces and about the size of your hand.
His prematurity caused full blindness in his right eye and legal blindness in his left.
But just in time for his sixteenth birthday, an experimental surgery will be ready for Colton to try.
"It's like a 40-inch TV and they just put a microchip in the back of the eye and he sees pixelated views like a television out of his eye," said Colton's mother, Holly Albrecht.
"If I had the surgery it'd be kinda weird, because I haven't seen out of my right eye... ever. So I don't know what that would be like," said Colton.
The only problem now is finding the money to do the surgery.
Instead of just asking for money, Holly created a children's book with a vision, called My Pretend Book. All proceeds will go directly toward Colton's surgery.
This 14-year-old boy loves bike riding, camping and his family, and he's got a mother whose love and determination go far beyond what the eye can see.
"There's no word that could even describe it... I'd take my own eyes and give them to him if I could, and he knows that," said Holly.
The Albrechts have already sold more than 100 copies of the book, but that's not even enough to pay for the books themselves.
That's why they're going to try something new on Sunday; they'll be at the Monona Farmers Market trying to sell a few books from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
To find out more about Colton's condition, learn more about the book or how you can help the Albrechts raise money for his surgery, visit the family's website.

"Holly,Your pretend book is so great.....it's so cute now Jordan does all the things as we read.....now he wants to ride the horse!!!!! I read it to him every Friday when I have him and he really interacts with it....great job.....love,mary"

Nice job, Colts- Grandpa Glenn

Colton, Thank you for brailling in my son's copy of the book.

Holly and Colton- Your book is so cute.

I love how the book has a spot to trace my daughter's hand, how cute!

Many blessings and good luck, Colton. Rob

Time for another book Colton. We've already read this one 100 times. hahaha

I hope that you get the surgery and can see me someday. Your friend, Me

Good luck, Colton!!

Taren and Sam look so funny in the book! Meredith