Dale’s life has now been transformed twice – firstly through vision loss, and secondly when he met wonderful Seeing Eye Dog Yana.
Eighteen months ago, Dale awoke with a headache, unable to see out of his left eye. He was diagnosed with bilateral central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) – a stroke behind the eyes. Just a few months later, he suddenly felt a pinch in his right eye and his vision went fuzzy. Tests confirmed blocked retinal veins.
‘I couldn’t drive or work. My life stopped. I spent lots of time sitting in waiting rooms wondering what would happen to me.’
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Dale had been incredibly independent, and it was very hard to accept increasing vision loss. While he has regular injections and laser treatment to maintain some sight, Dale knew he needed to do something to maintain his independence.
After several months on the Seeing Eye Dogs waiting list, he was matched with beautiful Seeing Eye Dog Yana – and you made this very special match possible!
‘Instructor Yoav was amazing and helped the two of us really bond. Learning how to do things was so much easier with Yana. Now I have independence. I can travel safely to Melbourne and back from regional Ballarat on public transport!
I can even go out in the dark on public transport – if I feel worried, Yana knows, and she leans against my leg and looks up at me. That is a massive comfort.
It was so overwhelming at the start, with the enormity of what’s ahead. But now I know I have support with Yana by my side.’
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Your generous support has given Dale independence and purpose – he has even joined the Vision Australia Client Reference Group (CRG) to give back to the community.
