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Name
Andy Loerch
Born
9/26/1981
Home
Lemont, PA
Diagnosis
Stargardt's disease
Eyes Affected
Both
Eye Color
Green
Age at Diagnosis
16
Visual Acuity
20/200 both eyes
Treatment
None really, just low vision aids
Prognosis or Current State of
Vision
Well, I'm already legally blind, and I'm 24 years old. I've heard the disease is supposed to slow down or stop sometime soon, but no one seems to really know. It's still getting worse.
Family History
Mom had it (she passed away when I was 14), Grandfather on Mom's side has it, my Uncle has it, my great aunt has it, and I just found out this year that my 12 year old sister has it.
Impact on My Life
It's given me a really unique view on life and my surroundings. I'm pretty mobile, but find it very difficult to read without very large print, I have really cool flashing lights of all colors in my blind spots. From what I hear, that is pretty unusual. It used to bother me cause those lights are there when I close my eyes to sleep, as well.
Positive Effects
I guess since I have developed it before my 12 year old sister started to, I should be able to be at least some support for her.
Adaptations
I use a white cane, not so much for mobility as for identification. I use ZoomText for Windows or the built in Mac OSX magnifier for computer work. I have a pair of bioptic glasses that work really well (except the sides are glued on with super glue since they fell off (I was wearing them ALL the time, I liked them so much).
Working
I run my own computer support business, and I am an instructional aid for the ASDB (Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind) for an adorable 1st grader whose vision is worse than mine.
More About Me
Nothing here yet. My eyes are tired from reading, and my hands are tired from typing (LOL). I'll write this part later.
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