Alyssa Herron: “My Ocutech bioptic has made me the most independent I have ever been.”

For Alyssa Herron, the sky wasn’t always the limit.

For the longest time, her limit was navigating a legally blind diagnosis she had since birth, caused by nystagmus and astigmatism. She is nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other. Her nystagmus, an uncontrolled fluttering movement of the eyes, causes her to have reduced vision even with her eyeglasses.

Alyssa’s story is like one enriched movie plotline, and it takes her through battling bullies in elementary school, adopting a ‘new normal’ through middle and high school, and finally gaining a strength of personal independence in college. Since then, she has soared above all the “no’s and “you can’t’ s” by becoming her own boss, entrepreneur and the ultimate YouTube crafter.

Alyssa grew up feeling different from others and had to undergo surgery at the age of 8 to tighten her eye muscles to reduce the involuntary eye movements characteristic of nystagmus.

The post-operative period, however, was a challenging time. Alyssa had to stay away from school for five days while experiencing painful light sensitivity and sleep disturbances that made learning like other students even harder for her to do. Upon returning to school, Alyssa faced bullying from her classmates especially when she had to wear sunglasses even indoors to deal with her light sensitivity.

Throughout her elementary and middle school years, Alyssa had to use plastic filters and a dome magnifier to help read and enlarge the text on paper. It was hard for her to read the board even when she sat in the front row and an independent life was not something she ever thought she’d achieve. She was often told she wouldn’t be able to do the things she so badly wanted to do like sew or craft or travel.

Not until, that is, she was connected to the Ocutech VES Explorer bioptic telescope glasses.

“I was born right on the line of legally blind and for the longest time, I felt my world was so inward. I spent my whole life hanging onto other people, asking them to explain things to me— it made me feel that I lived through another’s eyes,” Alyssa shared, poignantly. “Then, right before college, I got fitted for the VES Explorer bioptics by my low vision specialist and my vision was improved to 20/40! Now I can grab things on my own and see my loved ones faces… this is the most independent I have ever been.”

The Ocutech VES Explorer are special bioptic telescope eyeglasses designed to help the low vision individual see much better. The telescope, mounted to the top of the eyeglass frame, enlarges what Alyssa needs to see, and improves her vision to near-normal levels. Equipped with her state-of-the-art bioptic telescope eyeglasses, Alyssa was able to finally feel a sense of normalcy that she had never experienced before.

Firstly, she began a journey to her newfound independence; she no longer needed to rely on others to navigate her world. “I suddenly could achieve my dreams of traveling, visiting my brother, and I can now even look forward to going on more adventures with friends or even alone, nothing I could have imagined for myself before… it’s such a game-changer to be able to confidently fly and walk through airports, read flight screens— it means everything to me.”

The bioptics also helped Alyssa feel like she could stand on her own two feet in college. Peers no longer bullied her, and she could join clubs, see the board in class, participate in activities and walk around campus without any help.

Today, Alyssa is proving to all those who put her down that she can rise above and thrive in her creativity, her ambition and her dedication to doing what she loves. Indeed, Alyssa currently runs her own business and >Youtube channel, >The Boss Blitz, using her crafting to make videos about making candles, wax melts, punch needle art, sewing, room sprays and more.

And with the help of her Explorer bioptic telescope, Alyssa can see clearly far away and also up close to make running her craft business easier– she sets the large items that are easier to spot farther away in her craft room and the small items she uses day to day within arm’s reach.

“One piece of advice I have all individuals with low vision is this: always make an attempt to do something you’re interested in— so many people told me I couldn’t do things like sewing because of my vision but if I listened to them, I wouldn’t be the happy and successful entrepreneur that I am today,” Alyssa advised, passionately.

“Just like me, a bioptic telescope can free you from a life of depending on others, so get out there, try them out, and do what you love.”

About Ocutech

Ocutech is the worldwide leader in developing advanced high-quality telescopic low vision aids. Ocutech bioptics are available in a range of designs and powers, so that the low vision specialist can prescribe the version most appropriate for the individual’s level of vision as well as being able to address their specific vision goals. For more information about Ocutech bioptics for low vision visit >www.ocutech.com. Complete the> Ocutech bioptic self-assessment form to determine if you or a loved one might be a promising candidate for Ocutech bioptic low vision aids.