As autumn takes on the majestic beauty of its fall colors, school children remind us of the explorer Columbus on his October holiday. We remember how much courage it must have taken for men to set sail from Spain and cross the Atlantic in search for new lands and treasure. As the days became months, the sailors on the three small ships began to believe that they were about to fall off the face of the earth convinced that the world was flat and that monsters were waiting on the other side of the horizon.
In many ways the search for breakthroughs in vision have been just as frightening and just as surprising. It wasn’t that long ago when cataract surgery required patients to be hospitalized for days at a time lying perfectly still while their new lenses gradually settled. When I was a baby suffering from glaucoma, there were no drugs available to ease the crippling headaches I’ll never forget. Diabetic retinopathy and wet macular degeneration had no possibility for control until gifted researchers began to apply stem cells, gene therapy, and nutraceuticals. Much like the exploration of Columbus, most forms of blindness are moving toward remarkable and dynamic breakthroughs.
Research supported by Discovery Eye Foundation is now on the cutting edge of unlimited possibilities that someday may dynamically improve the vision and the lives of patients and their families. Our work can only continue with your support. Please join us as we explore and discover new worlds of vision and hope.
Tom Sullivan
DEF’s Ambassador of Vision
sullivanvision.com
Smartphones have opened the door to a world of possibilities, further than we could have ever imagined. While they are commonly used to communicate with others, keep up with social media, and perform simple tasks, smartphones have innovations that allow accessibility and functionality to the blind and visually impaired. With the help of a smartphone, smartwatch, or tablet, the “blind” or visually impaired can virtually “see” and become more independent. 
