Helping Ed See a Brighter Future

Throughout his life, Ed K. had never had any real problems with his vision. He didn’t need glasses beyond drugstore readers. So, when he was referred to The Chicago Lighthouse for treatment of his wet age-related macular degeneration, he was nervous.

“Just hearing the term ‘Lighthouse’ brings the idea of someone who is blind and does not have vision at all,” Ed says. “I was wondering, ‘Am I that bad off?’”

When Ed’s appointment came, any anxiety he may have been feeling disappeared the moment he entered our Huber Vision Rehabilitation Center in Glenview. A warm reception and empathetic pre-evaluation put him at ease. Throughout the following examination, Dr. Steven Sargent patiently walked Ed through his diagnosis, explained how The Lighthouse could help, and answered every question Ed could muster with as much detail as Ed wanted.

“We discussed everything. It put me at ease,” Ed says. “He showed me what the problem was, what it was all about, and how to improve it. He convinced me it was going to be all right.”

The exam finished with an order for some glasses that could help restore some of Ed’s lost vision and a renewed sense of hope. “When you start losing your vision, you want to do something about it immediately,” Ed says. “I had never heard of the work of The Chicago Lighthouse before but will now tell everyone I see about its great and exceptional contributions to those who are visually impaired.”

The Chicago Lighthouse’s Comprehensive Low Vision Services are designed to nurture and empower patients at every stage of vision loss. To learn more about our services, visit: https://chicagolighthouse.org/programs-services/vision-care/.