Member Stories

When Dennis began to lose his vision, his wife jumped into research mode, learning as much as she could about macular degeneration. She found help in the form of the Spectrios low vision clinic in Wheaton, Illinois and encouragedDennis to make an appointment.

After retiring from a very successful and distinguished career as a music educator, Mary Frances noticed that her vision was becoming blurry. A specialist diagnosed her with macular degeneration. Today, she is legally blind.

Michael’s love of gardening really blossomed after he lost his vision. The Hadley Growers discussion group—with useful tips and a welcoming community of people who share his interest—helped.

“Anyone can do anything they put their minds to,” Wisconsin resident Renee Kuester-Sebranek believes—and proves. “You just need the right outlook, resources and support—and Hadley is great for resources and support.”

They say life throws punches. For me, it was more like a full-on knockout. I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a condition that slowly chips away at your vision. My world, once filled with vibrant colors and details, started fading into a dark mess.

This golfer has learned to 'Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,' and she shares that idea with others.

Sara worked as an optometric technician for many years, which gave her an increased awareness when she started noticing vision changes. She was ultimately diagnosed with pigmentary maculopathy, a degenerative eye disease that results in, among other things, vision distortion, blind spots, and a loss of depth perception.

Celia found Hadley while searching online. “I started every day listening to a Hadley podcast. Listening to Insights & Sound Bites cheers me up. It makes me feel like I’m not alone.”

When Jeff lost his eyesight, he was worried about the future—but soon he was ready to learn.

Keith brings his love of reading to Hadley’s Book Nook discussion group.