About us & our Foundation:

Candi and Tech Sgt. Jacob Sturgeon resides in Miami, Florida with their son Noah. Noah was born at Baptist Hospital in 2002 at 24 weeks gestation.

Candi currently is a stay at home mother to Noah and is founding the ROP Foundation. She has a background in Developmental Psychology and in the Corporate Retail Industry. She currently educates herself on matters concerning her son.

Jacob is with the Unitted States Air Force and is stationed in Miami, Fl. When he is not working he is continuing his search for information on ROP and helping found the new ROP Foundation with his wife.

Noah currently attends a special needs school with an intensive therapy program to prepare him for Kindergarten. Noah is blind in his right eye with Neovascular Glaucoma. His left eye potential is 20/70, but he is testing at 20/100 at this time.

Due to prematurity, Noah has only one functioning kidney, and a brain bleed left him with severe hydrocephalus and enlarged ventricles. He also suffered a brain stroke near the cerebellum. He recently has been diagnosed with Epilepsy due to some seizures activity.

Candi and Jacob are working together to ensure that no parent leaves a Neonatal Nursery unaware of the problems associated with Retinopathy of Prematurity.

We are the ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) Foundation, we are striving to help parents of children born to soon to be able to make choices about their infant or child’s future. We hope that through this website you will be able to get the answers you have been looking for.
Our foundation was founded by people who have had a personal experience with Retinopathy of Prematurity.
If there is any question that you need answered please feel free to contact us at the foundation and we will do our best to find the answers for you.
                                                                                                                            Sincerely,
                                                                                                                            Candi Sturgeon


Candi Sturgeon is the founder of the ROP Foundation. She is currently a stay at home mother devoting her time to helping parents of premature infants, researching Retinopathy of Prematurity and running the foundation.



Jacob Sturgeon is on the Board of Directors and is currently overseeing all funds, investments and decisions concerning the foundation donations. Jacob Sturgeon has 17 years of service in the United States Air Force and is currently stationed in Miami.


Dr. Audina Berrocal, M.D. is on the Board of Directors and a Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Fl.
She specializes in Vitreoretinal Diseases, Surgery and Retinopathy of Prematurity. Her research interests are Age-related macular degeneration, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, Inherited Retinal Disorders, Persistent fetal vasculature, pediatric and adult retinal detachments and Retinopathy of prematurity.


Dr. Magaly Diaz-Barbosa, M.D. is on the Board of Directors and is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics. Her specialties includes Neonatal-Perinatal at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Fl. Her practice is located at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

The ROP Foundation
c.sturgeon@theropfoundation.com
www.theropfoundation.com
TEL: 305-562-3642