Mary Jane's Story

When Mary Jane moved to Indianapolis she was still reading the newspaper even though she had macular degeneration, a disease that causes the retina to detach from the rest of the eye. It wasn’t until she found herself driving with half her car on a sidewalk that she knew she needed help. For the last year, Mary has worked with Bosma’s Itinerant Rehabilitation Program – and she has seen a dramatic improvement in her quality of life.

Adapting to life without vision was a trying time for Mary. She was diagnosed with macular degeneration at 82, but it took several years for vision loss to set in. As she approaches her 93rd birthday this August, she finds herself thankful for Bosma’s services.

“Everything I enjoyed doing I did with my eyes,” she says. Mary, who had taught home economics and raised five children and seventeen grandchildren, enjoyed sewing, embroidery, reading, and bridge. When she lost her sight, she lost all of these. Little by little, Bosma has helped Mary to reclaim her independence.

Mary has worked with one of Bosma’s Itinerant Rehab Teachers for a year now and she says the experience has changed her life. Her teacher, Debbie Waller, helped her to secure tactile stickers for her kitchen so that she can cook on her own. And Mary is reading again, too. Through an innovative assistive technology called Merlin – a computer which magnifies text and images – Mary can read the newspaper, check her mail, and enjoy pictures of her ten great-grandchildren.

Bosma helped Mary to reclaim her life because Bosma is dedicated to empowering people who are blind or visually impaired. At the end of the day, Mary is certain of one thing: Bosma has made life better for her, her family, and her community.