eSight Eyewear

Hello everyone!

I am raising money for the purchase of eSight Eyewear, a new technology that allows me to see the world a lot like most of you.

Shortly after birth I was diagnosed with a condition called Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a hereditary disease caused by an abnormal genetic mutation to a particular gene - in my case, gene RPE65.  With this genetic condition, I have grown up in a visually impaired world where many adaptations had to be made for mobility, computer use, daily living, reading... pretty much in everything.  Even with prescription glasses it was not possible to see the world properly... people, photos, text, signs, street lights, TV, phones... everything is still just partially visible, absent of detail and clarity.  Relying on family and friends through much of my life helped me succeed in my education and in my career, but now a new device on the market offers an incredible improvement to my sight and will be a huge leap forward in my living independently. 

The device is called eSight Eyewear, which you can see a demonstration of in this video:

On February 25, I was fortunate enough to try the technology for myself.  Though only testing for an hour, I could immediately see how this would change my life.  My visual acuity without eSight was 20:300 - with eSight, I was able to see 20:30, obviously a massive improvement.  Text was clear, I could tell the time from a wall clock 20 feet away and the books on a shelf 25 feet away.  For the first time I was able to see the beauty of my girlfriends' face and the details of pictures hung on the wall.  It was amazing... a drastic change.  I struggle as I type this to find the words that could truly express the magnitude of difference this technology made in my vision.  

With these glasses, I'll be able to read books, read cooking instructions and actually cook food independently.  I'll be able to see the faces of my family, see street lights, signs on buildings and watch a television show without asking someone "what's that on the screen?"  Instantly everything in life that was once a struggle to see even with adaptations will now be completely visible with this one device.  We live in such a wonderful time in our history where this is possible - and I'd like to try and raise the funds to help purchase this amazing technological advancement.

I appreciate all of the kind words I've received since talking about this opportunity.  A lot of you have offered to help raise the money for this and I am truly appreciative - it means a lot that so many of you have reached out to me to express your desires to help.  Even the smallest contributions are extremely helpful and I know I won't be able to thank you enough.