Main fundraiser photo

Benjamin Yonattan Field of View

BEN'S STORY...
Benjamin Yonattan is a 14-year-old with a dream to be a professional dancer and choreographer. Ben has Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) -- a rare genetic skin condition where the skin breaks with any friction. Because of the risk of serious injury at even the most simple bump, dance was the only sport that he could enjoy without high risk. 

GOING BLIND...
Just two and a half years ago, Ben started losing his eyesight. He was diagnosed with retinal dystrophy and, within just months, lost all but approximately 5 degrees of visual field -- meaning that he has no peripheral vision and sees life as though looking through a tiny coffee-stirring straw. Ben also lost visual acuity, making everything blurry.  Today, as the vision continues to decrease, and Ben has only a sliver of sight left -- about 2 degrees, or a tiny opening that he views the world through. When looking at your face, Ben can see one pupil of one eye. 

LEARNING AGAIN TO DANCE...
With the help of wonderful coaches over many months, Ben has re-learned how to dance through feel -- even to the point of being a Quarter-Final performer and contestant on America's Got Talent Season 10. 

ORIENTING TO SPACE...
Because Ben has no peripheral visual field, before he moves about any space, he has to "orient" himself. In other words, he has to know how the room is laid out. Ben's mom helps, as even before he was adopted from Guatemala at age four, God had prepared the situation: She has a degree in blind rehabilitation, orientation and mobility and low vision (what are the odds of that happening?!) and knows the best ways to help Ben. The iPhone has been a wonderful tool for this, as well: looking at the iPhone's "live camera feed," ben can "see" more of a room, as it is "shrunken down" onto a smaller size -- showing more field of view. 

"I CAN SEE MORE!"
Ben tried out his uncle's Google Glass two years ago and immediately realized he was able to see more field of view through the projection, as it placed a picture of what was in front of him directly onto the retina.

Ben was invited into "The Glass Explorer Program" -- and for the past two years, has used Google Glass to move about and to see far beyond what he could without the device. The implications for dancing have been huge -- because of not having to hold the iPhone or iPad for orientation, and then remembering the space...and then going back to the iPad...and then going back to dancing...and so on. Google Glass has made Ben's life infinitely easier, on and off the dance floor.

SAD NEWS...
Ben's vision is now leaving him, and has very little vision left. Ben is preparing for a life without sight, including learning Braille and learning more techniques to dance with no vision. As his sight decreases, his needs increase -- both medically and for special instruction for dance. But Ben is determined to not let vision loss keep him from dancing.

PLEASE HELP...
With your help, Ben's family can continue give Ben what he needs -- for medical appointments... for wound care supplies... and for special instruction by teachers and choreographers who have the level of expertise to help. The doctor appointments are many, and the hours to learn to dance are double what a normally-sighted person would have. 

So your help is appreciated.

Because of your help, Ben has been able to travel to special doctors in America and Canada, to get medical tests related to his loss that he wouldn't have otherwise been able to recieve. He has also been able to get special, one-on-one instruction in dance, to keep his dream alive. 

You see, Ben doesn't plan to give up dancing, no matter the challenges -- medical, financial, or personal.

Would you please help by donating any amount -- $5, $10, $20, $50, or more to help medical costs, to help increase the quality of Ben's life, and to help him continue to dance toward his dreams? 


This is Ben orienting himself to a dance studio, before he dances, using the iPad.




At the Western Michigan University Bronco Basketball game (center, flying splits)


Ben has special instruction, to help him dance.

To see more photos, please visit Ben's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/benjaminyonattan

Again -- THANK YOU for helping. We appreciate you. 



 

 

Organizer

Erin Brown Conroy
Organizer
Kalamazoo, MI

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.