It was one of the scariest school days ever.
It was the first day of third grade, and I’d heard that the teacher was very strict. Scarily strict. So when she wanted us to copy what she had written on the board, and I couldn’t see the writing, I was afraid to tell her, but I had no choice.
Twice I had to raise my hand and explain that I couldn’t see the board, and finally she got tired of moving my seat. She sighed loudly and told me to move my desk wherever it needed to be so that I could see. I began to push my desk forward and stopped when I could see – when my desk touched the board.
That was the first time that I realized how scary it was not to be able to see, and as I became more and more nearsighted, similar situations occurred. I began to wonder what it would be like actually to be blind, and I didn’t like the idea.
My nearsightedness is a common occurrence, and I can see just fine – but if that should change? What if there were something I could do about it?
Every year nearly 10 million Americans go blind due to AMD or age-related Macular Degeneration. The exciting news is that a cure is in sight! The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a non-profit organization, has provided funding for research for curing blindness, particularly AMD, since 1971. In fact, with the research FFB has already made possible, treatments to stop and in some cases even reverse retinal disease is a reality. This is great news for people over 55 and their families. With AMD it is nearly impossible for grandparents to enjoy the little things in life such as playing games, watching movies, and reading to their grandchildren. However, due to innovative research, those things are once again possible for many people, but we need to continue this outreach to fund research and find cures.
With your help, we can continue our important work of helping the blind to see. Please click on this link for a FREE informational packet about AMD and how you can help.
