Episode 045

Aug 9

At 27, I was told I’d completely lose my vision... and I'm not letting that stop me

with Janie Desir

Welcome to EP 045 of the CVD Podcast!!

At 27, Janie was told she had a rare disease that would take her vision someday...

At 30, her eyes rejected the glass contacts she had been wearing for 3 years and was told she was legally blind...

With so many questions and so much uncertainty, Janie was devastated... and then she was absolutely determined to figure this out.

She attended school for the blind to learn how to live her day-to-day life.

And eventually, her son was born and everything changed.

Janie wanted to prepare her son for a future in which he may lose his eye sight as well because nobody was certain whether this disease would be passed on or not. She started teaching him how to read braille and it inspired her to help others around the world that are facing the same problem.

Janie is now the CEO of Teaching Your Baby in Braille and author of numerous children's books that help blind parents teach and bond with their sighted children.

In this episode, Janie talks about:

Her life before her vision problems
- Her passion for graphic design and goals she had for herself
Being told she would eventually lose her vision completely
- What it was like receiving this news from her doctor
- The thoughts she was having and the feelings she experienced
Her body rejecting her contact lenses and being told she was legally blind
- The daily struggle of using thick contact lenses made of glass
- Details of her body reject them
- Being told she was legally blind and the devastation that followed
How her determination to live a meaningful life took over
- How having her son helped give her life a new meaning
- Her desire to help others in the same situation
- Why this lead her to writing children's books and speaking around the country
How you can do anything you set your mind to DESPITE the obstacles