Mary Myers hasn’t let anything stand in the way of her passion for books. Not dyslexia and not vision loss.
“I just don’t give up too easily on anything,” Mary says.
Growing up in a small Midwestern town, Mary’s love of reading sustained her through struggles with a learning disability. And today, macular degeneration hasn’t stopped her from becoming an award-winning children’s book author.
Feeling Unseen with Vision Loss
Mary started noticing changes in her vision more than a decade ago.
“I was overwhelmed, unsure, and at times felt invisible,” she recalls. “I remember sitting in doctors’ appointments where conversations were directed to my husband instead of me, as if I wasn’t even there. It was one of the hardest seasons of my life.”
Finding Help and Hope
A friend had done some research and told Mary to call Hadley. Mary was nervous. She didn't know what to say. But when a kind voice answered and started walking her through what help was available, she started crying. "It just made everything feel so much better," she says, "that it was going to be okay. That I wasn't in this alone."
Hadley connected her with a peer in New York. As a South Texan, Mary couldn't imagine what they'd have in common. They've been close friends ever since.
Listening to others share their journeys has helped Mary find something she hadn't expected. "I found more than practical help," she says. "I found hope. I found confidence. I found my voice again."
Writing New Stories
Mary’s grandson had been asking her for years to write down the stories she'd always told the family. A few years ago, she started doing just that.
Today, she’s a celebrated children’s book writer who was a featured author in April at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books—one of the country’s most prestigious.
“I am an award-winning author," Mary says, "and that’s a God thing. It’s also because I chose not to stop. That realization still brings tears to my eyes.”