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I can tell you
exactly why the Heroine in my work-in-progress, BLINDSIGHT, is blind—and why her Guide Dog, Fred, shares Hero
status with the story’s human Hero.
I lost sight in my
right eye fourteen years ago without warning. When I went to bed, I was
fully-sighted. I woke up to find a big, gray-brown splotch like thick fog in
the middle of my vision in my right eye. Over the course of the day, the area
grew to cover all but the extreme lower right edge of my vision.
The condition is
known as NAION (Non-arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.) There is no effective treatment. There is a 30% lifetime chance it will occur in the other eye.
I can close my good
eye and still see light and dark, and bits of things through thin spots in the
fog, but I can’t read the big ‘E’ on the screen in the eye doctor’s office, or anything
else for that matter.
Even with both eyes
open, I run into things/trip over things on my right side. I have lousy depth
perception. After a year or so, my brain adjusted and mostly tunes out the ‘bad’
input from my damaged eye.
I attended a Low
Vision Support Group during that adjustment period. I learned so much from
others going through similar experiences, especially from a spunky, legally-blind
wedding singer. She is the inspiration for Melisenda, my blind heroine.
Since I lost sight in
one eye, the other eye has been hit with Murphy’s Law. Repeatedly. My doctor
says it is “just bad luck.” I’ve had optic neuritis in that eye, two macular
wrinkles, a cataract is beginning to form, and I have a large piece of scar
tissue from the first macular wrinkle that dances around in the shape of an
anteater. (I named him Harvey after the invisible rabbit in the famous play,
since only I can see him. Luckily, his nose is attached so that most of the
time he stays below the center of my vision.)
I’m a planner. Naturally
I’ve rehearsed what I will do if I become legally blind. I’ll go to the state
school’s course for adults adjusting to blindness. As soon as I qualify (can
get around well enough with a cane, etc.) I’ll apply for a Guide Dog. These
wonderfully-trained, big-hearted beasts enrich and expand blind peoples’ lives
in so many ways!
Getting around with a Guide is much faster and safer for blind
people. Guide Dogs are trained in "intelligent disobedience." If a
Guide is given an unsafe command, the dog will not obey it. For example, when a
light turns green, the dog will not step out into the street if there is
oncoming traffic. Guide Dogs are trained to have impeccable manners and are
capable of avoiding distractions, so they do not create problems for their
human partners. Their eagerness to please and a willingness to work make them
wonderful companions. The relationship between a Guide Dog and their human is
extremely close. They are not pets; they are half of a team. Human + Guide =
Partners.
Your gift of money or your time to Guide Dogs for the Blind
makes a powerful difference in the lives of people with vision loss.
You can make a financial donation
online at
https://secure2.convio.net/gd/site/Donation2;jsessionid=B0F19E59625A66B5AB0DF08F8B4AAB2F.app274a?idb=997521498&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1281&df_id=1060&1060.donation=form1&idb=0
https://secure2.convio.net/gd/site/Donation2;jsessionid=B0F19E59625A66B5AB0DF08F8B4AAB2F.app274a?idb=997521498&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1281&df_id=1060&1060.donation=form1&idb=0
Your can designate a
workplace gift to GDB as the beneficiary of a payroll deduction contribution at many places of employment. This option is offered to
federal, state and municipal employees and through company-sponsored campaigns
in the private sector as well.
Learn about volunteer opportunities
at
Volunteers welcome
dogs into their homes; they act as program ambassadors; they provide
administrative support to many departments, and they support the mission in
myriad ways. If you want to give your time, there's no shortage of ways to
help:
·
Speakers
Thank you for reading
my personal story and for considering supporting Guide Dogs for the Blind.
~ Sarah
~ Sarah
8 comments:
Awesome blog! Thanks for sharing your personal journey with us. Guide Dogs for the Blind is truly a wonderful foundation. I never thought about all the people involved in the breeding, raising and training of these wonderful partners. Thanks for an informative touching blog.
My son is legally blind and once his dog, Casper, (not a GDB) goes to doggie heaven, he plans on applying for a Guide Dog. I know he would be more confident when out in public and thus more independent with one.
Thanks for sharing all the various ways this program helps people and all the ways we can support this wonderful program.
I'm glad you enjoyed my post and learned something more about this wonderful organization, Diana.
I'm so glad your son plans to partner with a Guide, Judith. It's a life-changing decision he will not regret.
Sarah, I always wondered how you lost your sight and if it had been as a child since you handle it so well. We had 4-H members who received puppies and trained them before handing the off at one year to be trained for the blind. It was a rewarding experience for those youth!
Hi Sarah, I didn't know about your sight loss. What a shock it must have been. I had no idea it could happen so suddenly. Thanks for sharing your experience and letting us know how to donate to such a great cause.
Thank you for stopping by and reading my post, Tammy. Until it happened to me, I had no idea either.This cause is near and dear to my heart.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sarah, and highlighting guide dogs and all the wonderful work they do. It is without a doubt an invaluable and worthy cause.
Sarah, have been on vacation and just getting back on the internet. Your story is inspiring and educational. Great blog post.
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