Anne Mok
Eye Hero | April | Anne Mok-Purpose in View
Even though Anne knew from her childhood that “something wasn’t quite right” with her eyes, the optometrists were unable to figure out what the problem was. After 8 years of back and forths and continuously worrying about her sanity, Anne was diagnosed with cone rod dystrophy, a rare inherited disease that slowly erases the light-sensing cells of the retina. Cones, responsible for color and central vision, are fading first, followed by the rods which are responsible for night vision and peripheral vision. Since then Anne has taken proactive measures to train and navigate life with vision loss. By finding confidence ands olace in support groups and community sharing, she is now a TEDx speaker, author, and is dedicated to reshaping the narrative around living a purposeful life despite vision loss.
Rachel Mackenzlee
Eye Hero | March | Rachel Mackanzlee
Even after losing an eye to retinoblastoma as a child, Rachel’s spirit was unmatched. But as years passed, school bullies and anonymous tormentors online began to erode her once-unshakeable confidence. In these moments of darkness, an unexpected source of light emerged, a young, beautiful blonde girl who Rachel could not imagine living her life feeling the way she was feeling. In an attempt to save the young girl, Rachel ultimately saved her own spirit and restored her belief in herself.
Mrs. Sunshine
Eye Hero | February | Mrs. Sunshine
Injury an eye during a freak accident, even 12 surgeries could not save Mrs. Sunshine’s eye. But she rocks her prosthetic eyes in her classroom and outside, proudly telling her students that it’s ok to be a little different, I am too.
Cecilia Foerster
Eye Hero | December | Cecilia Foerster
Born as a micro-preemie, Cecilia’s delicate eyes didn’t get the chance to fully develop. From having to wear eye glasses in her early childhood to undergoing back to back surgeries, Cecilia has lost one eye and is fighting to save the other.
Sarah Ruggiere
Eye Hero | November | Sarah Ruggiere survived a deadly car crash in Dec 2019 that left her with a broken knee, a cut eye, a cracked skull and many more psychological injuries. On top of all that, she went through an emergency surgery that had a zero percent success rate in her state at the time of her surgery, and survived!
Ghazal Ranjkesh
Eye Hero | October | Ghazal Ranjkesh is a Irani woman who was shot in the eye with “birdshot pellets” by regime agents for protesting for another woman’s killing in Iran in November 2022. She has since then inspired thousands of people across the globe through her inspiring story on social media.
Ava
Eye Hero | September | Ava is a little eye warrior from Vancouver, British Colombia. She is a fearless little girl who lost her vision to Retinoblastoma who has not let her sight loss stop her from being an active girl who enjoys playing piano and teaching other kids about artificial eyes!
Shelley Shelke
Eye Hero | May | Shelley Shelke is wife, mom and legally blind makeup artist who was born with optic nerve atrophy- a genetic disorder that has impacted multiple members in her family. She shares the journey of how she has navigated life, found her passion and adopted a positive attitude despite having a disability.