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Friday, June 27, 2008

A Low Vision, Legally Blind Man with Macular Degeneration Shares His Story


- Triumphant over Disability -
- How a Blind Man’s Darkest Moments Led to Success and a Mission to Help Others -


Thirty years ago, Charlie Collins was a typical 10-year old fun loving boy, riding dirt bikes through the woods in his home town of Cheshire, CT., playing baseball and attending the local elementary school. At the age of 13, though, his ordinary childhood ended, and his extraordinary journey began. Charlie’s life was shattered with devastating news; he suffered from a rare, untreatable eye disease that causes progressive blindness - Juvenile Macular Degeneration. In fact, three of Charlie’s siblings from their close-knit family of six were also diagnosed with the genetic disease.

During the next several years, while his blindness progressed, Collins battled with mental and emotional demons. He experienced several stages of distress; anger, shame, disbelief. He could not participate with classmates in most school activities, he was picked on, ostracized, he felt stupid and never quite fit in anywhere. His self-esteem hit rock bottom. “I felt completely alone out there and unequipped to live an independent, productive life.” Doctors told him nothing could be done to help him. “I focused only on the problem and never a solution,” says Collins. He considered suicide, but he just couldn’t bear to do it.


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