Who Is This?

By Dorothy Troyer

(2014)

 

He was 40 years old, well established in his career, recently married and happily building a dream house. Then he was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy. He could have gone into deep depression. He could have abandoned his goals. He didn’t.

 

Instead he accepted this new challenge and became active in The Foundation Fighting Blindness, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for retinal degenerative diseases. He decided he would use his resources, his energy  and his contacts to  help find a cure for his own declining vision. 

 

As he researched retinal diseases he began to realize that a cure was not going to come about quickly. What to do in the meantime? There were many people, just like him, who needed help to maintain their independent life styles. Using his resources, his energy and his contacts, he began investigating the field of visual rehabilitation.

 

He discovered technology was leveling the playing field for people like him. He heard about Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, where an Eye Doctor, who was also a Lion, had developed a philosophy of treating “The Head, The Heart and The Eyes,” with a goal of helping his patients maintain their independence while they waited for a cure.

 

In a short period of time the 40 year old with macular dystrophy became a Spectrios patient.  He and the Doctor, who was a Lion, became good friends. Together they are convincing many people who are struggling with low vision, that their eyesight doesn’t determine how happy or successful they will be. They determine that. 

 

The Doctor, Lion R. Tracy Williams, O.D., is the Executive Director of Spectrios Institute for Low Vision.

 

The man with macular dystrophy, Peter Whinfrey, is currently the Chairman of the Spectrios Board of Directors. Peter is also CEO of two innovative chemistry companies, Environmental Solutions International out of Batavia, Illinois and 3 Tier Technologies based in Orlando, Florida.

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Peter believes Spectrios can become an integral part of the clinical trials that will ultimately lead to cures for Stargardt’s and other retinal degenerative diseases.