Thanks to you, Joe has his freedom
For many years, Joe used his white cane to navigate life. But after years living with low vision, Joe had met lots of people with guide dogs, and started to wonder if this would be right for him. too.
Joe was diagnosed with Leber’s disease at just 19 years of age. It was a massive shock to discover that his whole life had to change. With support from Blind Low Vision NZ, he was able to build a life with low vision, and after accessing orientation and mobility training, gained great confidence in navigating public transport and going out socially. But something was missing.
‘It was clear to me that having a guide dog had made getting about almost effortless for my friends. So when I moved to Greytown, I decided it was time to apply for my own guide dog.’
When Ankie entered Joe’s life, everything changed. Training during COVID restrictions was definitely challenging, but it was absolutely worth it.
‘You can manage without a guide dog, but it’s different. You don’t step outside of your boundaries the same way. Ankie has brought such joy to my life and I am so grateful to the kind people who made thus possible for me.’
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