Donna Scott | Blind Beauty 48
“Today has been a good day. I had my routine 4 hourly return train trip for my 4 weekly eye appointment at the eye hospital in Sydney. No injection needed this trip, macular is dry and not active, currently stable and injections seem to be working and slowing degeneration. I also travelled solo! Unaccompanied! regaining some independence very proud of me right now.” ~Donna Scott
Independence Realized
#1 Sunrise
A 4-hour round trip train ride for over two years to the Sydney Eye Hospital for sight-preserving injections. When Donna told me this it reminded me of what we will do to keep our eyesight. This particular trip was different because she traveled solo.
Typically Donna would take the weekly (sometimes more) trip with a companion. It takes a little gumption to let someone put a needle in your eye. Speaking from experience, you go through it to hold onto remaining eyesight. Can you imagine what it might be like to do this alone on such a lengthy trip? The thought of negotiating her trip home in pain and a lot less sight than she normally had, was frightening.
#2 Lorikeet
Once she arrived at the hospital Donna was relieved yet she still had to be examined. Thankfully at this appointment, since her eye was stable indicating the medication was working, she didn’t need an injection. This was good news!
Donna lost her sight in her left eye to Macular Degeneration and an autoimmune disease. Her right eye is being treated with a different regimen to prevent more sight loss. She was so excited with the news during this trip. Then the added bonus of doing it on her own, she told me she almost skipped out of the facility.
Like most of us who are living with sight loss, every day for Donna is a challenge. She’s still in the process of coming to terms with her new lifestyle and she yet continues to thrive. Connecting with and befriending others who are also losing their eyesight helps. In her words Donna says:
“The amount of people and organisations I’ve met through Instagram has been awesome! It’s given me confidence reading others stories of their sight loss journey. It gives me motivation, inspiration, and determination. I thank all of you, my followers, my insta support network for opening my eyes to what’s possible if I don’t give up!” ~Donna Scott
You can follow Donna on Instagram @donnasfight4sight. Included with this post are two of her many awesome photographs. Her pictures are feasts for the eyes and a local news station in Australia has featured several of them. Australia.
Blind Beauty 48 Featured Image Description:
Featured image is a faux fashion magazine cover titled Blind Beauty. Donna is on the cover wearing sunglasses, a black sweater with a black and white checked scarf around her neck. The photo was taken on Donna’s trip home on the train, you can see the smile on her face – It said it all.
Blocks of text superimposed on Donna’s photo are: “Bold | She Keeps Pressing Onward,” “Blind | She Has Deeper Insight,” “Beautiful | She Sees To The Heart Of Others”
Additional Images:
- A photo from the beach shows a glorious Australian sunrise on the horizon over a body of water. The entire frame is in shades of golden orange. In the distance, is a lone sailboat. Clouds are breaking to reveal a bluish sky.
- This photo is an adorable colorful Lorikeet perched on a white banister. The brightly colored bird is itself a work of art. Blue, orange, yellow, and a neon green are striking against a tree-filled background.