Patti said she felt sorry for herself for a while, after losing much of her vision to ocular histoplasmosis. (The di
sease is caused by a fungus that can grow in bird feces, and Patti had lived on a chicken farm, breathing in the spores.) But after getting help from the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired (the Council), Patti is focused on helping others. She likes the Council’s assistive products and shares her insights with others. “I’m mentoring a young girl who has retinitis pigmentosa, and I made sure she knows about the Council and the store. You have to help others when you have received help yourself.”
Patti and her guide dog, Lily, also speak to groups about how to adapt to a life with low vision. “I had to be pushed at first. But I decided to learn about vision resources, get involved in new activities, connect with different people, and help others.”
