Beauty Queen Fights to Find Cure for Disease That Could Cause Her Children to Go Blind

Mrs. America visited Salon Hype in Burr Ridge to raise awareness about Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition which affects both her children.

It's hard to imagine, looking at the smile on her face, that reigning Mrs. America and Mrs. World April Lufriu lives with the fear that she and both her children might lose their eyesight someday. Two years ago, she and her two children were diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, an inherited disease that causes retinal degeneration. Lufriu said she herself experiences some issues with depth perception and vision in low light situations, but she feels those issues are minor compared to what others with her condition experience. She has seen firsthand how the disease affects someone she loves. "My sister [who has RP] doesn't drive anymore. She can't read a book, so she can't help her children with their homework," said Lufriu. Lufriu came to …

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Vision-Impaired Beauty Queen in Burr Ridge Today to Help Fight Childhood Blindness

The reigning Mrs. America will be at Salon Hype in Burr Ridge to raise funding and awareness for the cause.

Vision-Impaired Beauty Queen to Visit Burr Ridge to Help Fight Blindness [VIDEO]

Mrs. America will visit Salon Hype in Burr Ridge and La Grange to raise funds and awareness for the cause.

April Lufriu may be Mrs. America, but first and foremost she is a Mom.  Nothing is more important to her than her children, so when she learned that they, like her, suffer from the blinding genetic disease, Retinitis Pigmentosa, she became a force to be reckoned with.  There was no way she was going to stand by doing nothing as her children, aged 7 and 11, gradually lost their vision. Lufriu is on a mission to cure blindness for her children and the millions of others with sight-robbing diseases. She is using her platform as Mrs. America to raise awareness and much-needed research funding.   This Mother’s Day she is looking for 99 other moms to join her to raise money for blindness research.  For Mother’s Day she has created a special …

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