Legally blind Saskatoon woman receives gift of sight
Bobbi Janzen raises more than $20K for special glasses that will help her see
For more than 10 years, Bobbi Janzen has been trapped in a world of blurry images. Now, thanks to a massive fundraising effort, all that has changed.
Earlier this month, Janzen received a special pair of eSight glasses in the mail. The glasses allow Janzen to see fine details that were previously a fuzzy blur.
Now, thanks to an online fundraising effort, her friends and family have raised more than $20,000 to buy the glasses. Janzen said being able to see clearly for the first time in more than a decade was incredible.
"It was really overwhelming," she said. "I know what things are. I know what grass is. But to see it in such detail, and to know what it really looks like, it was pretty good."
Janzen was diagnosed with a severe case of macular and myopic degeneration 12 years ago. The condition caused her to be legally blind and allowed her only to see shapes and shadows.
One of the first images she saw through the glasses was a tear rolling down her daughter's face. She said her kids had changed a lot since she was able to see clearly.
"They're stunning girls," she said. "They're almost grown now. Just to see that change...It's been a long time."
Right now, Janzen can only wear the glasses for around half an hour before she starts feeling motion sickness. She hopes to start getting used to them slowly, but is very thankful for the vision she's received already.
"I think I'm like a kid in a candy store right now," she said. "My husband hung a bird feeder, so I could watch birds. To me, that was life-changing."