Legally Blind Twins Dream of eSight
legally blindKenny and Justin Jongsma were diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy—a rare genetic disease. The twin brothers became legally blind at the age 21; they only have peripheral vision now. A special kind of eyeglasses made by eSight of Toronto could help the brothers lead a more normal life, allowing them to do some of the things they did before losing their central vision. The eyewear uses a high speed, high-resolution camera to project real-time images to the wearer.

The problem is that a single pair or eSight glasses cost $10,000. Kenny and Justin are saving money and are trying to raise funds through charities and a GoFundMe.

"The unfortunate reality is that most public sector programs and insurance companies do not yet provide financial support for wearable assistive technologies for low vision–despite their ability to essentially replace the function of a damaged organ," said Laura Chau, a spokeswoman for eSight.

SDCB helps people experiencing vision loss regain their independence; please contact us to learn more about our programs.

$10K glasses? A small price to help blind twin brothers with rare disease see again


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