Listener Story: Marc G, How a White Cane Can Change Lives

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for the gift of the new long white cane. I have MMD (Myopic Macular Degeneration), which is a pretty rare form of macular degeneration. In fact, it is so rare that the doctors are unable to predict its trajectory. It shares similarities with the more common Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), but it is different enough and rare enough that I never know from one day to the next what my vision will be like. 

A little over a year ago, the vision loss began progressing much more rapidly than it had in the past, and I lost my ability to see the ground clearly. I took a couple of very bad falls, and, as a result, stopped going out for walks and just stayed in the house in relative isolation. Needless to say, this was not healthy.

It has only been in the last couple of months that I have managed to find the courage to admit what is going on and to seek help from wonderful people like those at Aftersight. I am now connected with a Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS), who is teaching me how to use the white cane and learn how to navigate the streets with my other senses. 

Thank you Aftersight, Colorado Lions Clubs, and others who support this project. -Marc G.

Please consider supporting Aftersight’s White Cane Project