Helping Colleen Adjust to Life with Vision Loss

“Without long-term disability aid, I don’t know how I’ll pay rent or stay afloat"

If you’ve ever met Colleen, you know she’s an incredibly nurturing person. Always willing to help and take care of those around her. She values her independence and positivity. So what many may not realize is just how life-altering this past year and a half has been for her. Always one to put on a brave face, her story is something that she’s struggled to share herself, so we are sharing it with you today in the hopes of rallying around her.

In the spring of 2023, Colleen began experiencing a troubling decline in her vision. What she assumed was a routine eye issue turned into something much more serious. After an initial eye exam, Colleen was given the devastating news that her vision loss was irreversible. In January 2024, her world changed forever as she was officially declared legally blind. Her driver’s license was revoked, her independence stripped away in an instant. Doctors provided a provisional diagnosis of Bilateral Optic Neuropathy, but with no clear cause or definitive treatment path, the future remains frighteningly uncertain – with no way of knowing if it will continue to get worse.

On top of her visual impairment, Colleen has been hit with unrelenting financial challenges. Just before her diagnosis, she had started a new role with a new company. This timing prevented her from accessing the long-term disability benefits she had contributed to for over 20 years as a working professional. Her short-term disability insurance has now expired, leaving her without a safety net.

Since her diagnosis, Colleen’s days are filled with constant adaptations: learning to navigate her new world as a mother of three, managing daily life without the ability to drive, and grappling with the reality of re-entering the workforce with significant limitations. Simple tasks, like reading a computer screen, are no longer possible without assistive technology, which brings its own set of challenges and costs. The road to understanding her condition is still ongoing, with frequent MRIs, genetic testing, and doctor’s visits that are both physically and emotionally draining.

Colleen is a deeply social person, and staying connected to friends is important to her well-being. Though you might see her out and about, moving gracefully, the images below provide insight into the unique challenges she faces daily. Attending her kids’ sports events is no small feat—unable to clearly see the ice at hockey games or recognize familiar faces approaching her, it’s truly amazing how she navigates these outings with an invisible impairment. Her goal is to create stability for her children, keeping their lives as consistent as possible, despite the obstacles she faces.

As her family and friends, we’re hoping to relieve some of her financial burden during this time. Colleen faces countless hurdles every day, and our goal is to ease her financial stress, allowing her to focus on what truly matters: adjusting to her new reality, seeking medical answers, and maintaining her role as a loving mother. A goal of $30,000 would simply cover her rent for a year, giving her the breathing room to adapt, find new career solutions, and build a future in the face of this new disability.

Whether you know her personally or feel inspired by her story, any contribution will go a long way in helping Colleen find her footing and regain a sense of independence. Blindness is a spectrum and something you really don’t understand until you’re faced with the harsh reality of experiencing it yourself. Please help us support her through this overwhelming chapter. Any contribution, no matter the size, will be so deeply appreciated and go directly towards helping her navigate this journey.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.