Thomas is a man in his mid-fifties residing in New Jersey who worked for thirty years at an airport in the New York City area until March of last year. That is when the unthinkable happened. Thomas contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for two months. Thomas was able to recover from his illness and finally go home with only one apparent side effect. The virus caused him to go completely blind.
Thomas is now trying to learn how to live his life as a person who is blind. He is ready to begin the journey of learning the tools, tips and techniques needed to regain the independence he enjoyed before losing his vision. Thomas is very eager to begin that journey. However, due to state wide shutdowns he is finding it extremely difficult to get the help he needs.
Thomas was made aware of the Lighthouse of Collier and the remote services we are providing through a family member. He reached out to this instructor in January of this year and wasted no time getting started receiving the services needed to help him on his road towards independence. He has been receiving a variety of services multiple times a week since the first week of February. He is a regular participant of the Spanish Support Group and both the Wednesday and Thursday support groups. He is receiving individual iPhone training on a weekly basis and has attended every IOS class offered. He is also a regular participant in the monthly book and history clubs.
The Lighthouse of Collier community welcomed him with open arms and immediately began sharing their firsthand knowledge of what it is like to live with vision loss. More importantly, they helped build his confidence and gave him hope by sharing their personal success stories. Thomas regularly expresses his gratitude for what the Lighthouse of Collier does for him and for everyone he has met whom he now considers as friends.
