Help My Dad Regain His Independence

For my birthday, I'm doing something a little different. Instead of asking for gifts or donations to a large organization, I'm asking for your help to support my father, Herman Corbin, directly. When you donate to this GoFundMe, you'll know exactly how your money impacts someone's life in a meaningful way.

My father was blinded at the age of 12 through no fault of his own. On a hot day, he was outside playing and ran inside to get a drink of water from the sink. As he lowered his head for his first sip, the sink exploded into his face. Earlier, the landlord had dumped several different chemicals down the drain to fix a clogged sink, unaware of the dangerous reaction they would cause. At the time, the chemical companies (which I can't legally name) did not include warnings about handling products.

Dad vividly remembers raising his head from the sink after the explosion, gasping for breath and just feeling pain as he inhaled the acid fumes into his lungs, locking them up instantly. As he struggled to breathe, he wasn't aware that his face was literally melting and that his eyes were already gone. In his panic, he began beating his chest to loosen up his lungs so that he could breathe. When he finally managed to take a breath, he realized his face and eyes were essentially on fire.

He spent months in the hospital, enduring the excruciating process of managing acid burns that consumed over 75% of his face. One eye was completely melted away, and the remaining eye had lost its eyelids and, as it turns out, his vision. He underwent years of reconstructive surgeries, with doctors using skin, muscle, and cartilage from other parts of his body to repair his nose, mouth, and face. But there was nothing they could do for his eyes. Ultimately, he decided to stop the reconstruction process because he simply couldn’t handle the pain any longer.

Despite the severe facial damage and lifelong disability, my father was awarded a lump sump settlement of $30,000 and a subsequent payments of $800 a month at the age of 21, with his lawyers taking half. This left him with only $400 a month to survive on. Since he was only 12 when the accident occurred, he can only claim his father's disability funds, which are significantly less than most individuals receive.

Growing up, we lived on less than $800 a month as a family of four. To make ends meet, my dad played his guitar for hours in front of stores, to make money for his family. As a child, I was embarrassed by this, especially when I had to sit in his place during his bathroom breaks. Now, I realize how selfless he was, spending hours in the hot sun or cold winters to provide for us. He even endured the pain of guitar strings burning his fingers in the summer heat.

I want to give back to my father and help him regain some independence. I’m hoping to do this in three phases.

Phase 1: Give him more independence with the OrCam MyEye 3 Pro, a wearable device that attaches to his sunglasses (which he wears all the time to cover his disfigured eyes). This device will read text from books and screens, recognize faces, identify objects, colors, and money, and more. It even has a built-in AI assistant to help with day-to-day tasks, connecting him to the outside world. The cost of this device is $4,250. It won't restore his sight but will give him freedom and reduce his dependency on others.

Phase 2: Fix his teeth, which years later deteriorated from the acid in the explosion and he only has 6 teeth remaining. He needs implants and several teeth need to be pulled and replaced. The estimated cost for dental work is $50,000 to $90,000.

Phase 3: Any remaining funds will be used to update his deteriorating home, making it safer and easier for him to navigate.

I've reached out to organizations that claim to help with dental and vision needs. Despite completing all the paperwork and being added to waiting lists, we have received no support at this point.

If you can donate even a little, it will add up and make a huge difference. If you can't donate, sharing this GoFundMe is an amazing way to help. You won't need to wonder where your donation went or if it really helped someone. Every penny will go towards supporting my dad in getting the OrCam MyEye 3 Pro, repairing his teeth, and improving his home. I'll share photos and videos so you can see the impact of your generosity.

Thank you for your kindness and support. Together, we can change my father's life.