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Brian Godfrey: Meeting the Challenge
More than 20 years ago, Brian Godfrey was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a progressive condition that was slowly stealing his vision. While his parents were devastated by the news and feared for his future, Brian, just 15-years old at the time, chose not to entertain those thoughts. Being young and still having a significant amount of vision made it easy for him to ignore the prognosis.
Brian maintains normalcy in his life by sticking to a routine – he drives only to and from the train station each day, uses a magnifier for his computer at work, and recognizes the fact that he has to work a little bit harder than most people to complete everyday tasks. One of the biggest obstacles Brian struggles with daily is his inability to recognize faces. It’s frustrating for him because it makes him less outgoing and that can affect how people perceive him. But, he meets the challenge head-on everyday. “Brian doesn’t let [his vision loss] stand in his way, and that’s an inspiration to people,” says Cristen. In recent years, Brian and his family became involved with the Foundation Fighting Blindness after they attended a small meeting organized specifically for people affected by Stargardt disease. “That was the first time I had met or spoken to anyone who had the same disease,” Brian says. “It was encouraging, and exciting to learn about the technology and success of gene therapy.” Brian decided to join the board of the Foundation’s San Francisco Chapter, and began working to raise money for the San Francisco VisionWalk. He started by doing research to find out the latest news on scientific progress because he felt it was important to share with others. “There aren’t many causes where tangible breakthroughs are at hand,” Brian says. Pairing the success of research with his personal story, Brian reached out to his family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors in search of support for VisionWalk, and the generous response he received was amazing to him. He also took advantage of corporate matching – Charles Schwab matched the donations Brian’s team raised. Cristen and Brian’s parents also reached out to their friends to support Brian’s VisionWalk team. “People realize the limitations Brian faces, and they are more than willing to support him,” says Cristen. Brian and his family are gearing up for the 2010 San Francisco VisionWalk now. They are excited to be a part of something that is helping people with diseases like Brian’s. Brian is happy to take every opportunity to help others with similar diseases. In fact, he recently took a 10-year-old boy affected by Stargardt disease into work with him to show how he’s been able to adapt in spite of his vision impairment. “Most people are dealing with something,” says Brian. “It’s the challenges that make you a stronger person. It’s not all negative that comes from being dealt a challenge.” |
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