Born 1927  ·  Left Us 2015

"Gone but Never Forgotten"

Blindness may not be life-threatening, but that doesn't mean it isn't life-altering.

Growing up, my two brothers and I had an active childhood. But as we got older, my mother developed a rare disease that progressively took away her eyesight. By the time I was 15, she could no longer see, and I became her driver, taking her wherever she needed to go.

Living with a blind parent changes a family in ways that are difficult to understand unless you have experienced it. My brothers and I were athletes, yet my mother rarely got to see us play. Everyday things that most of us never think twice about — cooking, cleaning, getting dressed, eating, walking through a doorway, or simply getting around — became challenges.

I remember watching my mother walk into a half-open door or reach for a glass at a restaurant and accidentally knock it over. These may seem like small things, but when they happen every day, they change your life — and they affect everyone who loves you.

My mother became blind at just 38 years old and lived another 50 years without her sight. She never watched television or movies and never got to truly see her grandchildren grow up. Yet she never complained. She continued to dance with my father, talk with friends on the phone, listen to the radio, travel, and live her life with incredible dignity.

Blindness may not be life-threatening, but that doesn't mean it isn't life-altering. It can take away independence, opportunities, experiences, and simple freedoms that sighted people often take completely for granted. And the impact doesn't stop with the person who is blind. It reaches their spouse, children, family, friends, and caregivers.

Unfortunately, because blindness isn't considered life-threatening, it often doesn't receive the attention or funding that other conditions receive. But for the millions of people living without sight — and the people who love them — the need is very real.

That is why we want to help.

For every loan we complete, we will donate 5% of our profit to organizations supporting people who are blind or visually impaired.

This is personal for me. For years, I've wanted to do something meaningful in honor of my mother. I can't give her back the 50 years she lived without sight, but I can do something today to help make life a little better for others facing the challenges she faced.

We want to help. We want to make a difference. And we hope you'll join us.

If you would like to make a donation in memory of someone you love or simply help support those living with blindness, I've included a link where you can do so.

My mother never asked for sympathy. She simply lived her life the best she could. This is our way of honoring her — and helping others do the same.