Hope for Greater Vision
Legally Blind Teacher Needs Surgery to Improve Sight
Kathy Clayton
The Ashland Beacon
Seeing our children clearly, hopping into the driver’s seat to go to work, reading the newspaper – we take these things related to our eyesight for granted. But for Tim Hunt of Greenup, it’s not so simple.
Tim, a preschool teacher in Greenup County, is legally blind. “I have aniridia, which means I don’t have the colored part of the eye, the iris,” he explained. “What that means for me is I am severely sensitive to light and am very near-sighted. I can’t see small print, and I need everything to be up close and really large.”
So far, he has managed his condition, wearing sunglasses at all times, and is in a bi-optic driving program. As his condition is worsening, Tim is hoping to receive an implant that would improve his sight. But there’s a catch – the surgery is not covered by insurance.
“The surgery is over $11,000, and we have to provide the money up front because the implants have to be ordered from Germany,” he said. The procedure is two separate surgeries and is not a cure. “But it would allow me to remain in the bi-optic driving program and remain independent.” Bi-optic driving utilizes the person’s general vision with intermittent spotting through a small telescopic system.
“When I was born with the condition I have, doctors basically said I wouldn’t amount to much, because I could only see light and shadows, and would need to go to special schools. Now, I have a master’s degree in education.”
Tim, now 33, said that when he was young, schools were not so accommodating for special needs. “I knew I wanted to help.” He has certification to teach preschool and special needs classes. His drive to help special needs kids extends to his personal life – he and his wife Crystal are foster parents called treatment parents, meaning they are allowed to foster special needs kids.
“We’ve been foster parents for two years now, opening our home to students with special needs,” he said. “We now have a six-year-old with cerebral palsy.” Tim grew up in Load, in Greenup County, and now lives in Scioto County, Ohio. “But my roots are in Greenup County.” Tim and Crytal have been married for five years.
“I go to the Cincinnati Eye Institute as it is a very rare genetic condition, and they can do the surgery there,” Tim continued, noting that one in about 90,000 people are born with the condition. “I talked to someone who had the surgery, and he said he was out mowing grass the next day.”
As one can imagine, the $11,000 out-of-pocket cost is nearly impossible on a teacher’s salary, so Tim and Crystal have started a fundraising campaign to help get the surgery. They are about one-third of the way to their goal.
They started The Blind Teacher fundraising site on Facebook and started out making and selling jars of hard candies of various flavors. Orders can be placed on The Blind Teacher FB page. They also have friends who are donating profits and/or commission from direct sales companies Thirty-One, Zyia clothing, and Pampered Chef. The Greenup school system allowed them to use a location for a vendor and yard sale in mid-June. They raffle items that local businesses donate and are planning a spaghetti dinner soon.
Tim is looking forward to reaching the goal so he can maintain his independence. He also commented that the surgery has an unusual option. “I am one of the few people in the world who get to choose what their eye color will be. It’s pretty cool technology – they can use pictures of family members to match up colors. I’m looking at a kinda gray or blue color.”
Anyone wishing to help the Hunts with their goal of $11,000 for the surgery can access the GoFundMe link on his FB page, where they are also taking orders for the hard candy. He can also be reached at 606.922.9000.
