Imagine for a moment not being able to read this letter or see the colours in my picture
It was a cold winter morning about four and a half years ago, and I was getting ready to go to work. I was applying my eye makeup in the mirror, as I did every day. This time, I noticed something strange. I couldn’t see myself clearly with my right eye.
Over the next few weeks, things got increasingly blurry.
I’d never had any problems with my vision before, so I made an appointment with my ophthalmologist. He reassured me that it was likely just a side effect of a medication I was taking, and suggested I stop and wait a few weeks to clear it from my system.
Instead, the condition actually got worse.
The same problem I was experiencing in my right eye quickly developed in my left eye too.
In only a few weeks, my central vision had faded, leaving me with only peripheral vision.
I started having trouble distinguishing colours and was only able to see in shades of black and white.
I felt scared and panicked. Wouldn’t you?
The timing could not have been worse for me. I was going through a separation with my husband, and I needed to be strong for myself and my two teenage boys. Also, I had recently been promoted at work, and I needed to perform at my best.
I prayed for my vision to come back. Desperate, I tried different vitamin supplements and holistic healing. I also went for countless scans and tests to find the cause.
I stayed in the hospital for 16 days for more tests and procedures right in the middle of the pandemic, a time when patients were kept in isolation and no visitors were permitted. Still, I was released with no diagnosis. My condition remained a medical mystery to all the specialists.
It was the middle of the summer when I was finally called with an official diagnosis – a rare genetic syndrome known as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).
It felt like I was frozen in time.
Yes, it was somewhat of a relief to finally know the cause of my vision loss and have closure after all the tests. But the reality was that there was no cure or treatment.
Knowing that I would quickly become legally blind, I was faced with lots of questions about my future. How would I be able to continue to run my home, get groceries, cook, help my sons with their studies, and get back to work? Who would help me get through this, and was there any light at the end of the tunnel?
It was then that my ophthalmologist first talked to me about the MAB-Mackay. I didn’t know such a place existed, since I never knew anyone with blindness or a visual impairment.
I quickly discovered how lucky we are to have a place like this in Montreal.
At the beginning, I had no idea what vision rehabilitation was and what it could do for me.
The MAB-Mackay was simply incredible, giving me strategies, tools and tips to continue with my life. I worked with an amazing team of specialists who guided me through the challenges of vision loss with compassion, understanding and expertise.
One of my biggest fears was that I’d become dependent on my children to do things for me.
But my spirits slowly returned, as I learned ways that I could still perform many of the everyday activities around my home that I had taken for granted.
For example, the MAB-Mackay showed me that I could work safely and independently in the kitchen preparing meals for myself and my boys.
They introduced me to technology to enlarge text so I could read, as well as computer software that allows me to keep on top of my banking, navigate the internet, and even write this letter to you.
Leaving the house on my own was another big step. You can imagine how easy it is to trip, bump into objects, and even lose your way if all you see is cloudiness. The MAB-Mackay has special instructors who showed me how to use stairs safely, to cross the street, and to get around my neighborhood safely. After weeks of practice, I now regularly take walks by myself or with my dog, and can even go to the gym on my own.
They truly saw the potential and powered my independence, and helped me to rediscover meaning in my life.
I know I can count on the MAB-Mackay to help me with any new challenges that will come my way. And I simply can’t tell you how reassuring this is.
Thank you for giving me renewed hope, dignity and happiness.
Jennifer
Proud and grateful client of the MAB-Mackay