It was five years ago that Jennifer started to lose her vision, and it’s been a long and arduous journey to save the remaining vision that she has left.
Due to retina tears in both eyes, Jennifer developed a condition called Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR) where scar tissue forms on the retina and can pull it off again.
Her right eye detached in 2021, with her left eye repeatedly detaching several times between 2024 and 2025. In total, Jennifer underwent 10 surgeries to try to save what vision she could. Unfortunately, some of those operations did more damage which has left her in the state she is now, legally blind, with no usable vision in her left eye, and reduced central vision in her right eye. As well as having to live with significant distortion in her vision, and an aversion to bright, flashing lights and glare.
Jennifer first reached out to Vision Australia in 2025, when it was confirmed that there was no more they could do to save her vision, and that her current vision loss would be permanent.
“After losing my vision I reached out to Vision Australia not knowing what to do. I was in survival mode at the time and very new to vision loss, so being able to talk to the right people that ‘knew what I needed’ was invaluable.”
That sense of being in survival mode comes from previously being in a very full career as an executive assistant, and an uncertainty about how she could still perform those duties while living with her particular vision loss.
A new beginning
Donor funding meant that Jennifer could have some initial consultations with a few of our staff before needing to worry about payment.
She was quickly paired with our Orthoptics team who were able to explain her vision loss in a practical and relatable way, and also provide initial strategies to explain equipment that would help her in her vision loss journey.
She was also able to meet with our Orientation & Mobility team who looked at various tools and equipment that would meet her specific needs.
These initial sessions put Jennifer onto the path to the next chapter of her life. She has since joined one of our Quality Living Groups where she meets with people going through similar vision loss. She is also currently a part of the Career Visions program, which will play a crucial role in Jennifer’s re-entry into the workforce.
“I had a lot of anxiety about going back to work but Career Visions felt a bit like divine timing with this program. It felt too good to be true when I heard about it.”
