‘It’s the first time I could read in over a year!’
LITTLE CURRENT—When Little Current’s Dave Taylor starting losing his sight two years ago it didn’t look like anything could help until a chance promotion on Canada AM introduced Mr. Taylor to eSight Eyewear and the opportunity to regain part of his sight.
“They didn’t know what happened,” Mr. Taylor said of losing his sight two years ago. “I went to bed one night and when I woke up I had lost the vision in my left eye.”
After numerous doctor visits and referrals, Mr. Taylor had been told it could be a hole in the eye, multiple sclerosis or a stroke.
With no definitive answer and after undergoing numerous tests, Mr. Taylor’s wife Sharon found a neuro-ophthalmogist in Ottawa.
“She (the doctor) thought it might be an infection and put me on a high dose of prednisone,” explained Mr. Taylor. “My vision got better in my left eye, but last time they tried to take me off it, I lost most of the vision in my right eye. Now my left eye is better.”
Though Mr. Taylor’s vision was improving somewhat on the prednisone, doctors still weren’t able to give him a definitive answer on the cause or if his sight would ever fully return. To make matter’s worse, Mr. Taylor’s vision had depleted to the point that he couldn’t read or watch television.
“Then in February Sharon saw eSight Eyewear on Canada AM,” said Mr. Taylor. “We called and organized a free demonstration in Toronto. I didn’t get my hopes up ahead of time because I had so many times before and had been disappointed. When I put on the glasses it was the first time I had seen my grandson clear in a year. I walked over to the window and I was amazed, I could see the street and people walking.”
Two weeks later Mr. Taylor went back to pick up his own pair of eSight glasses and was given a tutor who phones weekly to help Mr. Taylor and provide him with tips.
“I got the paper (The Expositor) right after I got back from picking up my glasses,” continued Mr. Taylor. “It was the first time I could read in over a year. I also could watch TV again and was able to help with work again. When I lost my sight, my son had to take over running our contracting business Taylor and Son. Now with the help of my eSight glasses I can help do the electrical again.”
Mr. Taylor explained that his eSight glasses allow him to watch TV in the actual glasses as well as take stills of things he reads so that he can zoom in on them if needed.
“I’m still getting use to them, but they work really well,” concluded Mr. Taylor. “They’ve made so many things possible again in my life.”
“eSight makes glasses that combine a camera, display technology and advanced computing to deliver a real-time video that enables sight for people with vision loss,” the eSight Eyewear website states. “Users have complete control over the image they see, which means they can enhance, magnify and adjust the image to ensure their eyes can best interpret their world. Our glasses are packed with sophisticated technology designed to support people with legal blindness. eSight is hands-free, mobile, and multi-use, which means that users can move seamlessly between activities, including those that would otherwise be inaccessible due to low-vision. The electronic tools housed within the eSight system independently adapt to any setting, allowing the user to focus on what they want to see and not on the technology they use.”
While a pair of eSight glasses comes with a pretty hefty price tag, $15,000, Ms. Taylor said there are many charities to help people cover the costs.
“There are various programs to help with the cost and they have a fundraiser on staff to help as well,” said Ms. Taylor. “We just happened to be watching Canada AM that day, if we hadn’t we may have never learned about them. We just want other people to know about them that the glasses might help.”
eSight will be hosting free demonstrations starting July 10 at the CNIB office in Sudbury. For more information call eSight at 1-855-837-4448 or visit www.esighteyewear.com.
