Crossing the street with Avery

Tap…Tap…Tap…Tap.  That’s the sound of the cane I used for more than seven years.  Primitive by many standards and even inaccurate at times.  I have low vision due to an eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, better known as RP.  A deterioration of the retina.  The condition causes night blindness and loss of peripheral vision.  In most cases, eventual loss of total vision.  My remaining central vision has been measured at between 1 and 2%.

The white cane with the red tip was my vehicle of transportation.  It found curbs, stairs and obstacles such as light poles, benches, walls, even people most of the time.  I found a lot of obstacles the hard way.  Especially those above me.  I have the scars to prove it.  I’ve fallen into holes in ditches, been scratched in the face by branches, and hit by vehicles on two occasions while crossing the street with the signal light in my favor.  However, the key to using a cane without a sighted guide is to move very slowly.  That way you lessen your chances of hurting yourself, someone else, or knocking something over.  I was not very popular with shop owners when I walked into a store!

When I walked with my cane, I heard people gasp as I approached.  “Look out!” they would say.  Sometimes I heard the word “Ouch!” because I bumped into someone or poked them with my cane.  Most people were like a deer in the headlights.  They just didn’t have a clue as to what to do, where to move, or how to help.

Every day was an adventure.  I was fiercely independent and needed to keep my mobility.  I wanted to stay physically fit and social.  I could have stayed home all day and drank.  But, I preferred visiting with my friends and going places.  However, I felt guilty if I became a bother to anyone.

After the second vehicle-pedestrian accident, some of my friends suggested that I get a protector.  A guide dog—someone to watch over me. 

At first I was apprehensive, because I had enough problems simply taking care of myself.  How was I going to care for a dog, too? 

Well, to make a long story short, I gave in and sent an application to a wonderful school called Guide Dogs of the Desert.  And it was this very special school that changed my life forever.

After 28 days of intensive training, this amazing organization of very special people provided me, free of charge, with an incredibly trained and intelligent guide dog named Avery.  Avery took me from traveling coach to first-class.

Instead of moving at a snail’s pace swinging a cane, we were walking at a normal speed.  I can now get from point A to point B without hurting myself or anyone else.  I no longer have to find the obstacles in my path.  Now I can feel Avery taking me around them as we walk.  What a rush!  People still stop in his path, but now Avery just walks around them.  Instead of someone yelling, “Watch out!” they say things such as “That’s incredible!” “Will you look at that?” “What an amazing animal!”  What a beautiful dog!” 

These guide dogs are so intelligent that they can find the car you traveled in.  My mom once forgot where she parked her car at the mall, and Avery found it right away.  My friends make bets that Avery can’t find their car.  They lose every time.  Avery is trained to find elevators and even can distinguish between an escalator going up or down with one command.  We love to show off at malls and airports.

I now cross busy streets of my town safely.  Drivers can be very careless; however, Avery is trained to react in case of an emergency, which he does on a daily basis.

I give directions and Avery guides.  He finds the curbs, stairs, and objects that can seriously hamper our safety and progress, often figuring out the best way to navigate us around obstructions well before reaching them.

Avery and I travel everywhere.  He’s now a frequent flyer.  We do everything but drive.  However, we’re working on that as well!

Clmbing stairs with Avery

Thanks to Guide Dogs of the Desert, my life now has purpose and a new direction.  My mobility and safety have been greatly enhanced.  GDD has given me the confidence and ability to cope with life’s everyday obstacles and provided me with a priceless friend and companion.

Your donations are what allowed me to get this marvelous guide dog Avery.  Thank you so very much for giving me my hero!

Sincerely,

Phil and Avery