Lizzy Myers' big day is here; Lexington girl to see pope

ROME - A 5-year-old Lexington girl who suffers from a rare genetic disease that is gradually robbing her of her sight may get to see Pope Francis.

Lizzy Myers and her family have special seats for Francis' Wednesday general audience. The Vatican visit caps off a week of touring that is part of the "visual bucket list" her parents have crafted to show Lizzy some of the wonders of the world while she can still see them.

So far, they've seen the statue of Julius Caesar, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

"If we had to leave today and go home, we would be very happy," said Lizzy's father, Steve Myers. "Well, I think Lizzy would still want to see the pope."

Lizzy doesn't know she suffers from Usher's Syndrome, which will take away her hearing and gradually make her blind. But her father said after Lizzy received the diagnosis "we realized that we have to do as much as we can to let her see as many wonderful things as possible."

The first item on their bucket list was the Warren Rupp Observatory near their home, where Lizzy could look through a giant telescope at the moon and the stars.

Someone at the observatory invited a Mansfield News Journal reporter and before the Myers knew it, Lizzy's story was all over the news and they were receiving generous offers to help them show her much more in the short time she has before her sight fails.

The general manager of Turkish Airlines was touched by Lizzy's story and round-trip tickets were offered to anywhere in the world. The family chose Rome.

Speaking to the Associated Press in the garden of their hotel in Rome as their daughters played behind them, Steve and Christine Myers said Lizzy had already adjusted well to the hearing aids she has to wear.

"I want her to live as normal a life as she can, now," said her mother. "There will come a time when we will have to tell her. I dread that day."

On Wednesday though, they are hoping for a glimpse of the pope, or maybe more. "We are hoping for a little special prayer or something for Lizzy and maybe a miracle will happen that way as well," said her father.

In an e-mail to the News Journal Tuesday, Christine Myers said the family must get up super early Wednesday and finish packing because they are going to be rushing to make the train to Venice right after the meeting with the Pope.

"We must be ready and out the door at 7 a.m. I don't have many details. I think "CBS This Morning" is going to be there so we were told. UNITALSI has organized it all. I am hoping to sleep tonight as I am sick and have no voice. Hoping it returns tomorrow," she said via email to the News Journal Tuesday.

"Not sure on exact time for the pope.I think we have to wait a long time. They said they are expecting 42,000 people," she said.

News Journal reporter Lou Whitmire contributed to this story.