Angela Ricketts turns her family’s choroideremia journey into a new memoir

Author and Sight Stones founder Angela Ricketts is releasing Never Lose Sight on Aug. 28, 2026, a memoir about her son Kai’s diagnosis with choroideremia, a rare inherited retinal disease that causes progressive vision loss. Proceeds from the book will support research for inherited retinal diseases.

Why it matters: - Never Lose Sight puts a personal face on choroideremia, a rare disease that can lead to blindness and has no approved treatment. - The book also channels proceeds into research support through Sight Stones, linking storytelling with funding for inherited retinal disease work. - The release adds awareness to a condition that affects families dealing with uncertain, progressive vision loss.

What happened: - Angela Ricketts, founder of Sight Stones and mother of Kai, is releasing Never Lose Sight: Finding My Way Back to Hope Through Vision Loss, Grief, and Clay on Aug. 28, 2026. - The book tells the story of Ricketts’ family after Kai was diagnosed with choroideremia, or CHM. - The Choroideremia Research Foundation is highlighting the release and its connection to CHM awareness.

The details: - Ricketts said her five-year-old son was diagnosed in 2016 with a rare eye disease that leads to blindness, the same condition that affected her grandfather. - The memoir follows the family through loss, uncertainty and hope after the diagnosis. - Ricketts said she wrote the book after realizing hope comes from choosing what to focus on, not from having an easy life. - After Kai’s diagnosis, Ricketts began making small clay reminders to help process fear and uncertainty. - Those creations became Sight Stones, with each stone featuring a hole in the center to represent the visual field of someone living with choroideremia. - The stones can be used as touchstones or worn as necklaces and bracelets. - Ricketts’ father was an artist, and her creative work became a way to turn fear into something meaningful. - Sight Stones is now a nonprofit organization focused on supporting research for inherited retinal diseases. - Kathi Wagner, executive director of the Choroideremia Research Foundation, said Ricketts’ story reflects the resilience and determination found in the CHM community. - In the book’s epilogue, Ricketts writes that Kai taught her vulnerability can take more courage than most people find in a lifetime. - Choroideremia is caused by mutations in the CHM gene and primarily affects males. - The disease often begins with trouble seeing in low light and loss of peripheral vision before advancing to significant visual impairment. - Researchers are working to better understand CHM and develop potential therapies. - All proceeds from the book support Sight Stones’ efforts to fund research for inherited retinal diseases. - Readers can find the book on Amazon, and more information about Sight Stones is available at Sight Stones.

Between the lines: - The memoir is as much a fundraising and awareness tool as it is a personal narrative. - Ricketts is framing her family’s experience as part of a broader message for people facing illness, grief or uncertainty. - The CHM community is using books, nonprofits and research advocacy to keep attention on a disease with no approved cure.

What's next: - The book’s release will direct attention and proceeds toward Sight Stones’ research mission. - Continued research efforts remain focused on CHM therapies and broader inherited retinal disease progress. - The Choroideremia Research Foundation says it will keep supporting families, research and education around the condition.

The bottom line: - Never Lose Sight turns one family’s diagnosis into a public call for hope, awareness and research funding.