Sweeter than Honey

Advances in clinical research were the talk of this year's VISIONS Conference in Washington, D.C., but Judy Kahl's "FFBees" were the buzz.

Judy, who has Usher syndrome (combined hearing and vision loss), came up with the eye-catching jewelry she dubbed "FFBees" to raise money in support of FFB's urgent mission to end blinding retinal degenerative diseases, and many of the attractive FFBee pins could be found on the lapels of VISIONS Conference attendees.

The idea came to Judy in January. "About a year and a half ago, I hit rock bottom. I was profoundly deaf with four percent hearing in one ear and eight percent hearing in my other ear. My vision was deteriorating, so I could no longer read lips. My husband, Joe, and I decided to look into the possibility of cochlear implants and whether I was a candidate for these devices. I was, and after receiving the first implant, I was gleefully back in the hearing world. Now it was time to focus on the eyes. We need a cure for blindness!"

Judy said that after looking at various options for lapel jewelry, she came across the perfect bee pin, because its colors were significant to her. "Black represents the darkness of being blind. White represents the beauty and brightness of sight. The sparkle on the wings reminds us that though bees have undersized wings for the size of their bodies, they DO FLY and so will WE! The green in their eyes represents the money we will raise to fund research to find a cure for blindness."

Though the FFBee pin is a popular piece of jewelry, it's Judy's letter-writing campaign that is bringing in substantial funds for research. Many of her friends and family wanted the pin, and they were generous, because of Judy, her story, and the hope the Foundation brings for curing blindness. She asked her contacts to pass the word by doing their own letter-writing campaigns, so that even more people would give money for research.

Judy spoke about her fund-raising efforts at this year's VISIONS Conference and received an unexpected surprise. "When I was first diagnosed, information about RP was not available. Then, 38 years ago, I read about Gordon Gund and the RP Foundation in the Reader's Digest. I called directory assistance to get Mr. Gund's phone number and later called and talked to his housekeeper. She told me that Mr. Gund was on a business trip and what an amazing man he was. He lost his sight in less than a year, but it did not stop him. I never called back, but 38 years later I found myself sitting beside this amazing man at the Saturday evening dinner dance. And it's true; Gordon Gund is an amazing man."

Judy and her husband now live in Bonita Springs, Florida, and they just celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. They have two daughters, a son, and seven grandchildren. "We are all very close and feel very blessed," she says.

Thanks to the progress of the Foundation, Judy is as hopeful as ever. "I can't even begin to tell you how exciting this is. The research and clinical trials are bringing our dreams for a miracle to a reality. It is so hard living with a disease such as Usher syndrome that robs you of sight and hearing…and giving up things you have enjoyed because of this disease, such as driving, independence, and missing the joys that sight and hearing give us…joys that many people take for granted. But NOT ME, and I'm here to CREATE THE BUZZ and remind people to be thankful for their sight, and I'll be thankful for their kind support to FFB. It's our time to find the cure we so desperately need, so we all can see and hear the beauties of life."

If you would like to learn more about Judy's letter-writing campaign and how to do a campaign of your own, contact the Fort Lauderdale office at (954) 308-5555.