N D 4/26/24 N D 4/26/24

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.

N D 3/26/24 N D 3/26/24

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.

N D 2/27/24 N D 2/27/24

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.

N D 12/28/23 N D 12/28/23

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.

N D 11/7/23 N D 11/7/23

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!

N D 10/5/23 N D 10/5/23

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.

N D 9/1/23 N D 9/1/23

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!

N D 5/1/23 N D 5/1/23

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.

N D 4/3/23 N D 4/3/23

Lawrence (LJ) Sanders

Eye Hero | April | Lawrence (LJ) Sanders is a talented upcoming artist who courageously shares his story of how he lost vision in his right eye and how he cultivated self-acceptance around it.

N D 3/13/23 N D 3/13/23

Elisabelle St-Hilaire

Eye Hero | March | Elisabelle is a beautiful woman from Quebec, Canada who is a professional ocularist but it is what inspired her to choose this profession that makes her story unique. Read about her journey with Retinoblastoma and how it led her career path.

N D 2/1/23 N D 2/1/23

Darian

Eye Hero | February | Darian is a brave little boy from Canada who was diagnosed with a rare condition called Coats disease. His mother, an author, honours his courage through a children’s book series called Adventures with Darian.

N D 1/3/23 N D 1/3/23

Jess Jagpal

Eye Hero | January | Jess is a beautiful woman from Canada who sustained an eye injury as a child while growing up in India. She reflects on how she coped with this reality throughout her life.

N D 12/6/22 N D 12/6/22

Maroua Ben Khedher

Eye Hero | December | Maroua Ben Khedher is a lovely woman from Tunisia who lost her eye in an accident and has channeled her adversity into advocacy and self-love.