Donna

Life presents us with many challenges but none so potentially devastating as an eye disease that leads to blindness. Donna is an adventurous, determined woman who met and is overcoming that significant challenge. Although she has had Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) from birth, she has not let it stop her from leading a productive life. Donna lends a hand in support of her family, friends and her community when she sees a need. Recently, Donna’s vision impairment became more pronounced and her living situation changed. These factors could have been a huge detriment but Donna rose to the challenge and began what she is now calling her next adventure.

Donna was diagnosed with RP at the age of 12. RP is a genetic eye disease that progressively leads to blindness. The diagnosis was no surprise to Donna or her family since RP affected many members of her immediate and extended family. The tell tale sign for Donna was having poor night vision. She would bump into things whenever there was insufficient light.

Despite her challenges, Donna was a typical teenager, who was active, athletic, and played fast pitch which is the most competitive form of softball. Donna entered the workforce after graduating high school in New Jersey. Donna proved to be an exemplary employee. She worked hard, and with each position, she became more skilled and was given more responsibility.

At the age of 23, Donna relocated to Citrus County, Florida. In her mid twenties, she began her college education, in Pasco and Pinellas County, however she stopped short of completing it when her vision grew worse. At that time, there wasn’t much awareness about RP or support for the visually impaired and blind available. Even today RP is an eye disease for which few have answers.

Donna kept working and continued, for a short time, to play softball. Her athleticism gave her the motivation she needed to overcome the challenges she faced. Donna was also able to ‘pass’ as a sighted person in the workforce and in the community, although her field of vision was decreasing along with her visual acuity. Donna carried a magnifier in her pocket that she used to magnify text discretely. She gave up her driver’s license when she could no longer drive safely.

Donna went from having poor night vision, to low vision, to being legally blind. Legal blindness is determined when visual acuity is 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction possible. This means that an individual needs to be 20 feet from an object in order to see it with the same degree of clarity as a sighted person who can see the object from 200 feet. Legal blindness is also determined when the field of vision is less than 20 degrees, a condition that is often referred to as tunnel vision. Tunnel vision is also part of RP. Donna’s field of vision had become very small and her visual acuity worsened to the point where she could no longer read.

The Lighthouse provided services to Donna’s brother 18 years ago. However, she only recently started using services herself. In September of 2010, Donna contacted the Lighthouse offering to help as a volunteer. Then, after speaking with a Lighthouse staff member, she decided to become a student in training. Donna was excited to meet others who were visually impaired and blind. Donna did not know any other persons besides her family and now here she was literally surrounded by it. She knew it was finally time to come to terms with her vision loss and do something about it.

Donna dove into an intensive training program which covered Independent Living, Safe Travel/White Cane, Assistive Technology and Braille. Sessions were held one-on-one, and in small groups. Smiling, Donna remembers other students in her classes that were just as happy as she was to receive the training. Vision Rehabilitation teachers taught a variety of techniques and strategies to help each person most successfully adapt to their vision loss and develop independence. According to Patty Lopez, a LVIB vision rehabilitation instructor, Donna was an excellent student. “Donna told me she was tired of ‘passing’ and she took all of that energy and redirected it into her training”.

Now equipped with instruction, guidance, tools and resources, Donna can continue living her adventure, on her own terms and in her own way. In the past, she admits she experienced anger, and sometimes sunk into a blue funk, but now she is coping much better and is actively engaged in what she calls Donna’s Big Adventure. Donna has learned to do things around her home for herself and she continues with several hobbies (which include expanding her Wizard of Oz collection), and her regular pilgrimage—she loves to explore the world on her own, and with her friends and family.

Donna has in her adaptive tool kit a video magnification machine, audio book player, software that provides text to speech, and a handheld digital magnifier called a Pebble. Donna is also considering getting a guide dog. She has decided she wants to work with persons who are visually impaired. The Lighthouse is very supportive of Donna’s desire to become a Teacher of the Blind. There is a shortage of teaching resources in the field of vision impairment, and persons who are visually impaired are often excellent instructors because of their personal experience. Donna has also become a self advocate–she knows the importance of raising awareness about vision impairment after growing up in a world where little was known. Donna wants people to be accepting of persons with vision impairment and know about services that can help.

Donna says she is blessed to have a strong support system of family and friends. She knows that there are people out there who are much worse off. Donna currently holds down 2 jobs. She is a licensed Real Estate Agent specializing in sales and Property Management and in addition, she is also a Telephone Representative for a local organization. In August, she returned to college and is also taking courses at The Hadley School for the Blind. Donna has a busy life however she is inspired to do so much more. According to Donna, Helen Keller once said “Life is a daring adventure or nothing”. Donna, with her adventurous and determined spirit, says vision loss can impair your life or be a challenge to overcome.