Many children are scared of the dark, but one three-year-old has reason to be more frightened than others.

Zyare Outerbridge is slowly losing his sight due to the rare genetic disease Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).

He was diagnosed with the condition two years ago and is expected to go blind by the time he reaches his teens, unless a cure can be found.

The little boy is currently under the care of Children's Hospital Boston, which is treating approximately 1,000 children in North America with the disease.

Each June Zyare undergoes eye tests to see how far his sight has deteriorated.

For his mother, Crystal Outerbridge, the situation is a waiting game as she has no idea when her only son may lose his sight.

"I was heart-broken when they told me that in ten to 15 years he would lose most of his vision," she said.

"I try not to think about it or think too far into the future. I'm just praying a treatment or cure will become available to save his sight.

"Every year we go to the hospital he has to have a stronger prescription for his glasses."

Zyare is perhaps most affected by his condition at night. For this reason Miss Outerbridge, 33, leaves the lights on at the family home in Hamilton Parish and her son sleeps in her room.

"Zyare gets scared of the dark," she said. "He does not know he has this condition but is aware that in the night-time he can't really see at all.

"I have to leave the lights on, and if we're outside and I'm driving and it starts to get dark, he wants to go home right away."

Miss Outerbridge, an administrator at the Bank of Butterfield, says she receives "a lot of support" from family and friends while her 14-year-old daughter Jahlae also helps with Zyare, particularly in playing with him. Zyare likes his toy cars and trucks and playing football like any other young boy. His mother describes him as "a very happy, energetic child, who loves to talk".

However, Miss Outerbridge said she has recently noticed he is having learning problems at nursery school.

"He doesn't seem to be recognising colours and letters as much," she said. "So I am worried about his school work, about how he will progress, particularly as next year he is due to start preschool.

"One of the conditions of LCA is development delays and problems with motor skills, so on our next hospital visit in June, I will ask more about this and for a test for colour blindness."

Meanwhile, hairdressers at a City of Hamilton salon have raised $2,200 to help with Zyare's medical expenses.

This year, the staff at Strands picked the three-year-old as the recipient of their Christmas charity fund-raiser.

Employees raised $1,100 which was matched by management to reach a total $2,200.

Salon owner Will Mayo said: "Every year at our staff Christmas party we have different raffles and the money we raise, we donate to a specific charity.

"We usually try to select an individual rather than a bigger charity as there are some really deserving individuals out there with specific needs.

"When I suggested this little guy, the staff all thought it was a good idea. This is a very worthy cause and we are also hoping that by bringing attention to it, more money can be raised."

Zyare also received a Christmas boost from the children at Harrington Sound Primary School. Students in Primary One and Three received pledges between $2 and $10 during December towards his medical expenses, raising a total $4,200.

In addition, Primary One student Nirobi Mills raised another $1,000 and the children also presented Zyare with generous Christmas gifts.

Expressing her gratitude for the donations, Miss Outerbridge said: "I am very thankful and surprised."

She said she was particularly "stunned" to find out Zyare was the recipient of the Strands 2008 fund-raiser. "It means when we need money for things like hotel accommodation, at least it is there and I don't have to worry," she said.

Eventually Miss Outerbridge says she will have to tell her son about his condition. "At the moment when we visit the hospital I just tell him he's got to get his eyes checked," she said.

"But once he is older and can understand better I will probably have to tell him."

For now however, Zyare is just looking forward to a normal Christmas with "lots of presents and Christmas lights".