ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Gainesville family is searching for answers — and hope — after their 4-year-old daughter was suddenly cut off from a drug that had given her a chance at an ordinary childhood.

Caroline Filchak says her daughter, Hope, has beaten the odds since birth. Hope was diagnosed with microphthalmia, a rare mitochondrial disease that affects fewer than 100 patients worldwide. The condition attacks the cells in the body, causing developmental delays and muscle weakness.

“Hope’s life is a gift every day,” Filchak said. “She truly is a miracle.”

Doctors initially told the family that Hope would likely never speak. Her older brother, Thomas, proudly told us, “They were wrong.”

Last year, Hope’s medical team noticed her heart was weakening. They prescribed elamipr

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