Angel

My name is Angel and I am visually impaired. It was over two years ago that I lost vision in my left eye as a result of diabetic retinopathy. This was a major concern to me because I had already had a central vein occlusion in my right eye, also caused by diabetes. When I lost vision in my left eye, I was employed as a Blood Donor Recruiter. My ability to support my family, as well as the activities that I was involved in, came into jeopardy. As I started to deal with this disability and its debilitating effect on my life, I realized that I was going to need help. I started reaching out to various groups and I learned I was not alone. There is help available to those who seek it. I have also met persons who, like me, have suffered various levels of visual disabilities and have similar stories.

Everybody has a story. Mine started in a little town in the south central part of Puerto Rico. I am the oldest of seven children and at a very young age, my family moved us to the States. I grew up in NYC, where I was educated, and met and married the love of my life. I concentrated on my career as a commercial banker and did the things that a young man does to enjoy life. In my mid-thirties I was diagnosed with diabetes. This disease is caused by the body’s inability to process sugar and slowly affects the organs of the body if left unchecked. Blurry vision, sleepiness and thirst were symptoms I had been experiencing all of my life. Blood sugar was not routinely tested in those days so when I was finally diagnosed, it was after years of having the disease. Both my Mom and Dad had it, and I inherited it from them.

After I lost vision in my right eye, I continued to live my life normally. I kept my eye appointments with the Doctor. I asked him what effect this would have on my left eye and he informed me that if I kept my sugar under control, I would probably not have a problem. Unfortunately for me, the length of time that I had diabetes was not considered and I began to lose vision in my left eye. I was not able to continue working after this more recent loss. With the support and help from my wife, family and friends, I was able to get through those first few months when depression and worry tended to reign. Then I went to the Division of Blind Services and to the Lighthouse.

At the Lighthouse I continued to adjust to my vision loss and as part of my vision rehabilitation, I took computer and job readiness classes. I was able to hone my computer skills with the help of a magnification software program. The Job Readiness Program strengthened my resolve not to let this disability keep me from being productive. It also enabled me to share with others who have also had to deal with vision loss. This led to my job-training experience at the Lighthouse Vision Store which afforded me the opportunity to realize my passion of working with people.

Every day someone comes to the Vision Store looking for items that will help them deal with their vision loss. I learned how different people are affected by vision loss and how they are coping with this new limitation in their lives. I have learned about various items that are available to help those who are visually impaired. It is very rewarding to assist people in discovering these items and showing them how they work. It is especially satisfying to share with them and their families how vision loss has affected our lives and what we have done to overcome the limitations we now face.

It has also been very rewarding to work with the capable and dedicated staff at the Lighthouse. The services they offer to the visually impaired and the blind can only be measured by the level of satisfaction you get when you see someone transition from a sense of helplessness to an inspiring level of independence.

Editor’s Note: Angel’s work assignment in the Vision Store ended in December. However he returned in January as one of our first employment initiative employees! Angel is developing our client database and acquiring telemarketing skills so he is ready when Lighthouse receives its first call center contract. Angel brings years of business experience to this position and also his wonderful ability to speak Spanish. Angel and Patricia Lopez, an instructor at Lighthouse, are available to support persons who speak Spanish.