On This Episode

Hosts Dawn Prall and Shawn Doyle begin the episode conversing about a topic that has been on their minds. This episode, Shawn wonders about the thought process of a person who considers themselves as disabled versus someone who does not. He mentions how people who think positively heal much more often than people who don't, as well as the impact changing language has on the mindset. Dawn builds on these thoughts by speaking to quotes on how “you are or aren't what you think about all the time.” Shawn closes out the segment by suggesting people with MacD consider saying they have a condition and not a disability, which causes them to have to do some things differently. 

In the next segment, Shawn interviews Dr. Dwight Stambolian, who is an ophthalmologist, researcher and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, beginning with his medical and research background. Referring to himself as a “physician scientist,” he relates how in medical school he was interested in both research and clinical work and was invited by a University of Pennsylvania professor to obtain his PhD. He then completed his ophthalmology residency and remained as a faculty member since his first appointment. He goes on to explain how he began focusing on MacD in 2000 with clinical research within the Amish and African-American communities in Pennsylvania. 

Next, they discuss Dr. Stambolian and his research team’s current MacD research and having recently received a research grant from The SupportSight Foundation. Dr. Stambolian describes in lay terms how they are taking a new approach by focusing research on human eye tissue to better understand what makes a normal macula different from other locations in the retina. He elaborates on how they also are comparing eye tissue from donors with no disease and others who have MacD, to seek differences between the two. Their goals, he says, is to develop better treatments and work on finding a cure. 

Shawn and Dr. Stambolian also discuss in detail the clinical trial process to help listeners understand what goes into developing a drug, including length of time, such as for MacD. For example, Dr. Stambolian adds, it can take 10 years of research and clinical trials before a medicine actually gets to the patient. He then outlines the three phases of clinical trials designed to determine the effectiveness of new drugs. They conclude the segment on a hopeful note discussing the many advances in MacD treatments since the 1980s, in addition to the ongoing and continuous research on a cure for macular degeneration.

The podcast continues with the regular featured segment with Vispero, the world's largest Assistive Technology for the visually impaired serving people who are blind or low vision. Throughout the podcast, they highlight Vispero products that can enhance people's lives. In this episode, Bill Kilroy, Senior Sales Director for the Northeast, introduces the brand Freedom Scientific’s Topaz line of desktop video magnifiers. 

He details how this versatile and easy-to-use line of devices includes a high-definition camera monitor and color-coded control panel with separate colors for each level of magnification and video enhancement mode for changing the contrast. It also has an XY table for positioning a newspaper, book or form for signing directly in front, with the ability to magnify from just under 2x to 60+ in magnification level, depending upon the model. He adds how it is ideal for what he calls long-term reading, so the device can read to you when feeling tired. He wraps up the segment by providing contact information, reminding listeners that Vispero representatives are there to answer any questions and guide you through various products based on your individual needs. They can also connect you with a local resource to assist you in your home; or schedule an appointment for you to visit their showroom and test the devices out.

Other episode highlights include short soundbite segments where Dawn and Shawn enjoy sharing fun celebrity trivia; and provide helpful tips on living more independently with macular degeneration by enhancing contrast between an item in view and its surroundings on the more serious side. The co-hosts close out the episode with information on additional resources.  

What We Discuss in this Episode

This fifth episode covers the following featured topics:

◦ “Dwight [Stambolian] is a world-class vision researcher at the University of Pennsylvania whose life's work, is going to have an impact on all of our listeners in terms of their macular degeneration and what's on deck for the future and the research.” (1:45)

◦ “Does thinking of yourself as being disabled change things versus thinking of yourself as not disabled?” (5:27) 

◦ “My initial MacD research was clinical and focused on identifying MacD families in the Amish community of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In that community, we actually examined about 3,000 individuals and found quite a few families that were transmitting MacD through the generations.” (11:34)

◦ “Over the last five years, my MacD research has changed from actually being clinical to more basic science research.” (12:40)

◦ “The collection of multiple MacD stages should enable us to generate a gradient of changes in MacD that manifests early and progresses through intermediate and advanced stages.” (16:37)

◦ “Understanding these changes that underlie this gradient from early to intermediate will lead to new drugs directed at these targets, with the goal of halting the progression from early to intermediate stages. (16:55)

◦ “Before a pharmaceutical company can enter a drug into clinical trials, there needs to be some basic research accomplished, which addresses the biological activity of the drug against the targeted disease. Much of this research is performed in academic centers like mine and is usually supplemented by research labs and big pharma.” (18:36)

◦ “The clinical trials themselves consists of three phases and are designed to determine the effectiveness of new drugs.” (20:14)

◦ “What right now in those labs are kind of the bright light, a possible cure or some new medication in the future that might really benefit those suffering from acting?” (22:25)

◦ “So the exciting news, we now have research that indicates we may be able to reduce the number of injections up to 75% perhaps.” (25:33)

◦ “People all over the world are putting hope in people like you, Dr. Stambolian, scientists and doctors. So what hope is on the horizon for people who have MacD and what do you find the most promising these days?” (26:15)

◦ “How has the pandemic impacted your research and how has it impacted research in general? (28:46)

◦ “Tips to live more independently with macular degeneration. What you have to do is enhance the contrast between what you want to see and your surroundings.” (43:39)

◦ “Today we're going to be talking about the Topaz. It falls into the category of desktop magnifier. And it's almost like a PC in… your den, on a desk or on a table. And it's like a workhorse. It comes in all different sizes, and it's really easy to use.” (46:21)

◦ “The Topaz OCR is a great choice to have and goes above and beyond with the OCR capability in addition to magnification.” (53:34)

Quotables

“You are or you aren't what you think about all the time.” – Dawn Prall

“We hear about this all the time about the holistic thinking and how people who think positively heal much more often than people who don't. So the idea of thinking of yourself as disabled can change the way you the way you view everything, your perception of everything. So just, it's a fascinating thought.” – Shawn Doyle

“I've always said that in order to be motivated and positive, you have to change the language. So my suggestion… is instead of using the word ‘disabled,’ say ‘I just have a condition, not a disability.’ So that's a mindset change.” – Shawn Doyle

“Say, ‘Well, I don't have a disability, I just have a condition. I have MacD. That's a condition, but it doesn't make me disabled. It just means that there's certain things I have to do differently.’” – Shawn Doyle

“So what is different about our current approach to MacD? Well, first, we are focusing our research on human eye tissue to better understand what makes a normal macula different from other locations in the retina. If we can understand the uniqueness of the macula, then it might be possible to explain why the macula is susceptible to MacD. Second, we are collecting eye tissues from deceased donors who have no disease and others that have MacD. Using tissues from both sources, we seek to find the differences between the eyes that are normal and those that have MacD.” – Dr. Dwight Stambolian

“Understanding these changes that underlie this gradient from early to intermediate will lead to new drugs directed at these targets, with the goal of halting the progression from early to intermediate stages. And if we are lucky, this analysis might provide clues of how MacD develops in the setting of a normal high, so we can find a cure to stop it from ever starting.” – Dr. Dwight Stambolian

“And what great news that is for our listeners—people that are suffering from MacD, people whose families have people that are suffering from MacD—to know that your research has the possibility for finding a cure, or, as you said, at least stopping or slowing down the progression of this awful disease.” – Shawn Doyle

“Well, first, let me assure your audience that there is research occurring all over the world to determine how MacD begins, as well as new therapies to slow its progression. In fact, amazing research advances have been made since the first therapy for the wet form of MacD was developed in the 1980s.” – Dr. Dwight Stambolian

“There are major ongoing efforts to collect human eye tissue to assess the changes occurring in MacD. Such efforts utilizing human eye tissue will be the most direct way to identify the cause of MacD and eventually lead to new drugs directed at either preventing MacD or halting progression from the early to late stage of MacD, where you get irreversible loss of vision.” – Dr. Dwight Stambolian

“SupportSight is at the forefront of funding projects that have high impact. Its leader Dawn Prall spends a lot of efforts screening vision scientists for their ideas and past productivity to determine who would be the best candidate to receive research funding from SupportSight. Her energy is limitless. And she strives for excellence for herself and those researchers who receive SupportSight funds.” – Dr. Dwight Stambolian

Recommended Resources

- https://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/index.php/p5715 

- https://www.pennmedicine.org/departments-and-centers/ophthalmology

- https://www.enhancedvision.com/low-vision-products/merlin-family-of-products.html

- http://www.supportsight.org/research/

- http://www.mymacdlife.org/

- http://www.supportsight.org/

- https://vispero.com/

- https://www.freedomscientific.com/

- https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lowvision/topazproductfamily/

- https://www.enhancedvision.com/

- https://www.enhancedvision.com/low-vision-products/merlin-family-of-products.html

- https://us.optelec.com/ 

On This Episode

Hosts Dawn Prall and Shawn Doyle begin the episode with a conversation about the right diet and foods to eat with MacD. They not only discuss how diet and healthy eating are critical to living with macular degeneration but also share a number of resources and tips on foods that are eye healthy. 

Dawn explains why heart healthy living is eye healthy, including lifestyle choices, “eating the rainbow,” and taking in the right types of omegas and fish oil as examples. She elaborates on the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle and diet—especially for the 80-85% of people with dry macular degeneration—since it is the only available treatment. 

In the next segment, Shawn interviews none other than his co-host Dawn Prall as the episode’s featured special guest. Dawn relates the story of how an unexpected phone call over a decade ago sparked a lifelong passion of supporting, educating and inspiring people with MacD and their families.

She explains how she received the call from food magnate, philanthropist and Macula Vision Research Foundation founder, the late Herb Lottman, who asked her to serve as executive director of his foundation. After taking the job, she shares how it was a top priority for her to learn facts and the science behind macular degeneration from scientists, researchers and other MacD experts. She adds how the most profound and life-changing moment occurred once she started to meet people all over the country who lived with macular degeneration. 

She goes on to tell how she founded The SupportSight Foundation as a non-profit organization singularly focus on macular degeneration, with a solid track record of effectively serving the MacD community—one that includes those who either have macular degeneration; have a loved one with it; or are in some way connected to the disease. Dawn concludes her interview by offering listeners hope with news about gene therapy-based research for future MacD treatments funded by the foundation.

Actress, singer, voiceover artist and SiriusXM radio show host Christine Pedi stops by in the next segment from New York City to share inspired adventures, as she navigates life through diminished vision and transitions into the world of visual challenges. In this episode, Christine offers relatable anecdotes about how she discovered her visual impairment during an on-stage performance of Noises Off, as well as a subsequent detached retina surgery at age 28. She closes the segment with details of her medical visits surrounding Strabismus surgery for her eye turn years later, interjecting humor as she relates her story. 

The podcast moves on to the regular featured segment from Vispero’s Bill Kilroy, Senior Sales Director for the Northeast, and Mike Woods, Strategic Accounts Manager for Education. Vispero is the world's largest Assistive Technology for the visually impaired serving people who are blind or low vision. Throughout the podcast, they highlight Vispero products that can enhance people's lives. In this episode, Bill and Mike introduce the RUBY® Family handheld video magnifier line of products. The Vispero duo provide detailed overviews for each of the four individual portable rechargeable magnifiers. They also highlight key features, such as a range of magnification and contrast settings, designed to make simple tasks not so cumbersome.

The show continues with a new guest interview segment featuring The SupportSight Foundation (TSSF) board members sharing their unique and inspiring stories about vision loss and impairment. In this episode, Dawn interviews TSSF board member John McInerney, who imparts his powerful firsthand story. He recounts how he was diagnosed at age 6 at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute in the 1950s, elaborating how his condition called retinitis pigmentosa is very similar to macular degeneration, in terms of the way it progresses and is also an inherited disease. He shares his experiences from playing sports in high school; to receiving funding from the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind to attend Notre Dame; to his first time out of New England on a plane to

South Bend, Indiana at 17, knowing no one and being legally blind. 

John shares uplifting milestones from undergraduate, to completing his masters, to his first job as an engineer designing material-handling systems working for the government in Ohio. Dawn then follows his career journey as a manager for Westinghouse Electric Company where John shares his on-the-job challenges with accessibility and how he navigated the workplace—until he couldn’t. In a poignant moment, he also shares how he contacted the state’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to enter an accelerated rehab program at the Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind while he concurrently worked. 

After finishing up his Westinghouse career as vice president, John went on to working in the blindness field, including a stint as interim CEO of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind and serving as board member of BVRS in Pittsburgh and The SupportSight Foundation. John and Dawn wrap up the interview exchanging encouraging words and advice for anyone suffering from vision impairment or loss.

Other episode highlights include short soundbite segments where Dawn and Shawn have fun sharing trivia, as well as offer additional tips for low and impaired vision on the more serious side. The co-hosts close out the episode with information on additional resources.  

What We Discuss in this Episode

This third episode covers the following featured topics:

◦ “I think people will get a lot out of your interview, talking about your story, how you founded The SupportSight Foundation.” (2:04)

◦ “Diet and healthy eating is really critical to living with macular degeneration—there are all kinds of foods that are eye healthy.” (3:08)

◦ “What are some things people should have more in their nutritional plan for eye health?” (3:27)

◦ “A question that I would immediately have is where do people go to find out about right kind of diet to follow for healthy vision?” (5:30)

◦ “Today I have the privilege, the pleasure, to interview my co-host, Dawn Prall, who is also the executive director and the founder of The SupportSight Foundation. ” (6:48)

◦ “And so we created a program, the SupportSight Patient Education Advocacy Program, which was already there when I took the job, but we changed the model.” (14:40)

◦ “We often talk on this program, MyMacDLife about hope—what kind of research are you currently involved with that might give people reason to have hope for either a treatment or a cure for MacD?” (17:22)

◦ “The latest project that The SupportSight Foundation funded—and we just announced and are really psyched about—is a genetic study… We're also looking at funding some low-vision research.” (17:55)

◦ “I do have some stories from my previous experiences with visual challenges, specifically some of the surgeries I've had.” (23:50)

◦ “Today, the assistive technology folks at Vispero are going to be talking about the RUBY® Family. ” (32:34) 

◦ “The RUBY® is a group of four different handheld video magnifiers.... that when it debuted, it was by far and away an industry changer.” (34:52)

◦ “Here's another practical tip for living with macular degeneration: decrease glare.” (39:53)

◦ “We'd like you to learn more about the people who really are dedicated and committed to the mission of the foundation.” (40:47)

◦ “It would be a good thing for folks who are listening to get to know your story. So powerful a story, and it's best told to others by you. So where I think would be great for you to start is explain to the listeners, you’re visually impaired, and how your life has dramatically changed when you and your family got the news that you were diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa.” (42:13)

Quotables

“I started to meet people all over the country who live with macular degeneration. And that was profound.” – Dawn Prall

“We have a constituency. By and large, the majority of them either have macular degeneration; have a loved one who had macular degeneration; or are in some way connected to the disease, because it is 1-in-4 people over the age of 65 have some degree of or some stage of macular degeneration. So it's that huge. And it's that real.” – Dawn Prall

“There's a lot of buzz about gene replacement therapy, and also stem cell therapy.” – Dawn Prall 

“I just hope that… we can move that needle. Because if we stay focused on it, like we are and we will, I know we can make a difference.” – Dawn Prall 

“We're going to talk about all sorts of silly things, important things, emotional things, angry things, you name it. I'm feeling them all, as I transition into a life filled with many more visual challenges.” – Christine Pedi

“The best thing I did was go to the rehab program and take advantage of the services that were available. And that helped me maintain my independence. It was, to be honest, really a mental thing to get over as much as a physical thing.” – John McInerney

“You just put your head down and just did it. You didn't let your vision issues, no matter what age, get in your way. And I think that's really an important message that the audience—and people listening—needs to understand.” – Dawn Prall

“It's important to advocate for yourself, so that you can maintain independence. And it's also important psychologically, to cross that boundary that says, ‘Okay, I have a visual impairment, I need to deal with it.’ That was one of the most difficult mental boundaries that I had to cross. Once I crossed that line, then it was okay. ‘Watch out, don't get in my way, there’s all kinds of technology out there, there's all kinds of opportunities, and the sky's the limit.’” – John McInerney

“That's the one piece of advice I want to say to everyone that is, you know, make the decision and go for it because if you don't, you're going to end up sitting in a corner, probably for the rest of your life.” – John McInerney

“And I think with the technology that's out there today, and organizations like The SupportSight Foundation, it's in everyone's best interest to maximize what they can do with their vision impairment in order to maintain independence, and to maintain a quality of life that that they use. There's just so many opportunities and so much technology out there today.” – John McInerney

Recommended Resources

- http://www.supportsight.org/

- https://www.nei.nih.gov/

- https://www.mvrf.org/

- http://www.mymacdlife.org/

- https://vispero.com/

- https://www.freedomscientific.com/

- https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lowvision/ruby/

- https://www.enhancedvision.com/

- https://us.optelec.com/

- https://www.masseyeandear.org/

- https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-commission-for-the-blind

- https://www.evas.com/pdflinks/PVC.pdf..

- https://www.evas.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.exe/Main.htm

- https://www.bvrspittsburgh.org/

- https://www.pablind.org/ 

On This Episode

Hosts Dawn Prall and Shawn Doyle begin the episode with a conversation about energy. They discuss how much energy people end up having to expend after being diagnosed with macular degeneration—from determining next steps; to discovering available resources; to asking the doctor follow-up questions; or even simply to sort it all out. Dawn also talks about the added challenges when having to access the computer, internet or written materials they need and why—for these reasons among others—experts say that macular degeneration affects not just the individual, but the entire family. 

Likewise, Dawn mentions that in addition to energy used in educating oneself about the disease, there is also a lot spent in navigating ordinary life tasks with MacD, such as researching insurance or buying a household item online. Shawn shares two strategies for tackling difficult tasks while living with MacD, as author of a book on productivity. He offers tips on identifying one’s maximum productivity zone, or MPZ. He refers to it as the time of the day when you have the most energy. The second strategy he conveys is about finding an advocate to assist in the tasks rather than going it alone. 

In the next segment, Dawn interviews special guest Richard Tapping, Vice President of Vispero, about assistive technology; Vispero’s history, philosophy and its three brands: Freedom Scientific, Optelec and Enhanced Vision; and the benefits of using magnification devices. Richard talks in detail about how these tools enhance quality of life for people living with MacD and low vision, as well as Vispero’s two-step approach to addressing individual needs. He shares a personal story about his grandfather with MacD and how taking small steps with easing him into magnification technology positively impacted his life by allowing his grandfather to participation in a regular hobby he had given up on. They cover how and where to find ease-of-use devices to assist people with MacD or low vision, concluding with a discussion on their affordability. 

Actress, singer, voiceover artist and SiriusXM radio show host Christine Pedi stops by to offer her thoughts in the following regular segment, where she navigates life through diminished vision and transitions into the world of visual challenges. In this episode, Christine shares her inspiration from reading Norman Lear’s memoirs, Even I Get to Experience This. She offers her positive takeaways from the legendary television writer-producer’s experiences in the book. She relates how his words remind her to see what she is going through, such as a new downturn in her vision, in a slightly different and positive way—that even with the highs-and-lows and ups-and-downs in life, there is room for gratitude and wonder. She also relates how his story conveys that one single moment in life does not have to define anyone’s entire life, as with vision loss for her. 

Shawn then takes a moment to talk about how to maintain hope when living with macular degeneration. He offers insight into using technology, orientation, practice, plans, engagement and education as key strategies to preserve hope for a brighter, productive future even when struggling with MacD and vision loss. 

Dawn and Shawn introduce the closing regular segment on new assistive technology, featuring Vispero’s Bill Kilroy, Senior Sales Director for the Northeast, and Mike Woods, Strategic Accounts Manager for Education. In this episode, Bill and Mike provide details and highlights about the ClearReader, a portable scanning and reading unit and Optelec product. They describe how this versatile all-in-one unit is popular with customers, offering 59 high-quality reading voices that can read in 31 different languages, which are easy to change. Mike outlines top ClearReader features, which include its built-in stereo speakers, headphone connector, HDMI port to output, USB port and SD memory card slot, with a rechargeable lithium ion battery. 

Mike adds that is it foldable, lightweight and has adjustable volume and the speed of the text being read back. Bill and Mike conclude with information on how to learn more about the ClearReader unit and how it has helped people they know remain independent. Co-hosts Dawn and Shawn close out the podcast episode with additional links and resources for those living with macular degeneration.  

What We Discuss in this Episode

This fourth episode covers the following featured topics:

Quotables

“I think I would just tie it up in a nice tidy bow and say this: Don't be afraid to ask for help.” – Dawn Prall 

“The technology has really come a long way, and people should really perhaps think about these tools as a way to accommodate or provide the visual enhancements that they may have lost through their vision loss.” – Richard Tapping

“People have no idea that there are tools that absolutely do help and reinstate, reinstall the independence that someone may have lost over the vision loss.” – Richard Tapping

“The message people I hope get from a lot of this conversation is that when you can't see, investing in a tool, investing in the technology that's out there and accessible for you to improve your life, help yourself, be able to read, be able to do crafts, be able to do the things you enjoy, look at the pictures of your grandkids.” – Dawn Prall

“I should make the point that this is all Vispero does, and all we've ever done. We don't have other interests and different business segments or anything of that nature; we are entirely dedicated to providing greater access for those with vision loss. – Richard Tapping

“We get the highs, we get the lows. These are the things that give us texture, that give our life and the tapestry of our life, the depth and give it fiber. And I just think that it might be helpful to look at it that way. Because life is full of wonderful highs, but boy, is it full of difficult lows. And yes, it's also full of boring stuff—we get to experience it all.” – Christine Pedi

“And if you're going through a negative circumstance with your eyes, see if there isn't a moment, a part of it, a portion of it, an instant of it that you can't say, ‘Even this I get to experience.’” – Christine Pedi

“Why am I living in a moment and saying this moment is informing the rest of my life, period? Yes, all our previous moments do inform the rest of our life, but they are not each of them solely responsible for the rest of our life. They work together. And I found it very helpful.” – Christine Pedi

“Even though this is a devastating diagnosis with macular degeneration—and losing your vision can be devastating—it doesn't mean you can't lead a great life. It doesn't mean you can't find joy. It doesn't mean that you can't live with the disability. It may be your new normal, but you can live an amazing, beautiful life just by addressing hope.” – Shawn Doyle

Recommended Resources

- https://www.healthyvisionassociation.com/

- https://www.novartis.com/

- https://vispero.com/

- https://www.centricbank.com/

- https://hinklestein.com/

- https://www.freedomscientific.com/

- https://us.optelec.com/

- https://www.enhancedvision.com/

- https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lowvision/rubyproductfamily/

- https://www.christinepedi.com/

- https://us.optelec.com/products/cr-ba-g2-us-13m-optelec-clearreader.html

- http://www.supportsight.org/

- http://www.mymacdlife.org/ 

On This Episode

Hosts Dawn Prall and Shawn Doyle begin with a conversation about maintaining a positive attitude with MacD, especially during pandemic times. Dawn shares tips, such as creating a gratitude or joy list, to assist with sustaining a healthy mindset.

Shawn interviews special guest Dan Roberts, a retired educator and book author who also serves as the editor-in-chief of Living Well with Low Vision; founding director of MD Support; and founding director of the International Low Vision Support Group. His organization, MD Support, is a worldwide non-profit public service organization committed to providing information and support for those affected by macular degeneration and similar retinal diseases. Dan shares his amazing, uplifting story about how losing his central vision affected his life. He offers tools, tips, techniques and ideas for people who suffer from macular degeneration and their families to apply in their MacD life every day. 

Actress, singer, voiceover artist and SiriusXM radio show host Christine Pedi introduces a new segment from New York City. She stops by to share her inspired adventures, as she navigates life through diminished vision and transitions into the world of visual challenges. 

The podcast closes out with the regular featured segment from Vispero’s Bill Kilroy, Senior Sales Director for the Northeast, and Mike Woods, Strategic Accounts Manager for Education. Vispero is the world's largest Assistive Technology for the visually impaired serving people who are blind or low vision. Throughout this podcast, they highlight key Vispero products that can enhance people's lives.

In this episode, Bill and Mike talk about the ClearView GO, a portable desktop video magnifier that can travel with the user. They share highlights of the low-vision device, including how this foldable video magnifier plugs into the wall or runs off of battery; gives users access to information on their desktop, whiteboard, blackboard or looking outside out of a window; and features a rotating camera to look at themselves for personal use like applying makeup and grooming. Hosts Dawn and Shawn wrap up the episode with fun trivia and information on additional resources.  

What We Discuss in this Episode

This second episode covers the following featured topics:

Hosts Dawn Prall and Shawn Doyle begin the episode discussing how people with Mac D and their family members maintain hope. They share examples of how individuals see a bright horizon and future hope in new treatments—and eventually a cure. They also find hope in data, information and research from driven scientists and medical researchers committed to discovering new treatments, medication, cures and eye care. 

Dawn and Shawn introduce ways to maintain independence with Mac D. One example is innovative assistive technology by Vispero to make individuals’ lives with Mac D easier and better, which they revisit toward the show’s closing. Later in the episode, they cover simple tools you can integrate into daily Mac D life to enhance the ability to see. They clarify and offer suggestions on three types of magnification: relative distance, relative size and angular. 

Shawn interviews leading retina specialist Dr. Timothy Murray as the episode’s special guest. Dr. Murray offers details and information about macular degeneration as a disease. He also shares what new treatments to look ahead to, as well as provides tips and strategies for patients and their caregivers, including key questions you should be asking your doctor. 

The podcast closes out with a featured segment from Bill Kilroy, Vispero Senior Sales Director for the Northeast, and Mike Woods, Strategic Accounts Manager for Education for Vispero, the world's largest assistive technology for the visually impaired serving people who are blind or low vision. Throughout this podcast, they highlight key Vispero products that can enhance people's lives.

In this episode, Bill and Mike talk about the recently released Optelec Compact 10 assistive technology—a portable electronic video magnifier with a 10-inch display and touchscreen, among other key features they share. Hosts Dawn and Shawn wrap up the episode with fun trivia and information on additional resources.  

What We Discuss in this Episode

This first episode covers the following featured topics:

You don’t want to miss a thing, click to listen. A collection of personal, authentic MacD stories from and about patients, families, and caregivers. The Podcast brings experts, knowledge, info, and fun to the airwaves.