Meet Sunshine, a retired Californian living in New Zealand. Despite losing her central vision, she writes cookbooks, gardens, and swims daily. Learn how she turned her challenges into successes with help from her friends and some amazing support.
Sunshine was diagnosed with macular degeneration in 2017 at age 72 after visiting a few specialists. She lost her central vision but still maintains excellent peripheral vision. In 2017, she lost her sight due to macular degeneration in one eye. Then in 2022, while at the Parliament occupation protesting the mandates, she lost vision in her other eye. Sunshine says, “I am really grateful to the organisation. They are a light in the dark and a reassuring hand. It was shocking to be disabled like that. Your love, support, and kindness have been incredible.”
“When I first lost my eyesight, I was in a tough spot. I couldn’t manage in the kitchen. I put sugar in something that needed salt and realised I wasn’t safe there anymore. Roy, the Rehabilitation Instructor, showed me tools to stay independent and taught me how to cut things safely. He was very helpful, and I love the idea of independence. Andrea, the Adaptive Communication and Adaptive Technology Trainer, helped me with computer skills, which was such a gift. The team also encouraged me to get a hearing aid, and Michelle helped with Bay Audiology on my behalf. All this support and encouragement has been amazing.”
In October 2022, Sunshine hit a parked van while cycling and realised she shouldn’t drive anymore. She sold her car the next day and accepted she needed help. She started attending counselling sessions, which she found very useful. Swimming daily at the beach lifted her spirits. Sunshine affirmed, “I refuse to let my disability take my joy.”
More recently, Sunshine is excited about the support from Andrea and is learning touch typing. She is also learning about Voiceover and Siri. Roy introduced her to her first white cane. At first, she didn’t want to use it, but Roy helped her see it as a way to ask for space, not as a sign of permanent blindness. Sunshine recalls the first time Roy came to visit with a white cane, “I said no I would never dream of having a cane. But he suggested that I just try it out anyway so the three of us went for a walk into town.”
“I was delighted to find that my confidence in walking improved, and that people got out of my way, and I was no longer bumping into them. However, I associated the use of the blind person’s cane with a blind person and was not ready to admit that I was indeed blind, I still have enough sight left to enforce my denial.” However, says Sunshine, as her sight became more challenging the cane became more prominent in her life. “Now it’s like having a second pair of eyes that allows me to walk safely; my confidence level has grown even as my eyesight has diminished. I am walking distance from all my favourite places and having the cane is like having my own personal airplane which is hard to describe to a person who doesn’t have one.”
Sunshine says when she doesn’t have her white cane, she notices she is more prone to falling: “I’ve had no falls when I have been using the cane.”
“It’s really neat the way the cane folds up and gets put away. At first, I did not want to admit to any blindness since I saw it as a handicap but did not see myself as handicapped. However now I see it is useful to let others know about my sight status so that accommodations can be made, the cane has become a friend, and I am so grateful for its place in my life.”
Another thing Sunshine is grateful for, is the Blind Low Vision NZ staff who answer the phones. She had a wonderful chat with someone who was also blind and used to be a passionate cyclist. His words moved her to tears, helped her regain her confidence.
Sunshine believes that people who haven’t lost their sight may not realise how much life changes when you do. For those who can still see, it’s wonderful that you can support others. “We’re all on this long journey of life. How lucky are we to live in a world where people help each other?”
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