Triumph In The Face Of Adversity—A Living Example
When you look at the striking photographs taken all over the world of huge animals in Africa, Yellowstone National Park, the rodeo, roller derby, the fair, hot air balloons, wall graffiti, and too many people, places and things to name, you will agree, this is a talented photographer. You can see his beautiful work posted on our website. What you won’t know or guess is that this photographer is also legally blind.
Mike Despot has dry macular degeneration and was diagnosed in 1992 by a doctor at Johns Hopkins University.
However, Mr. Despot still rides a bike, goes to the movies, travels, and takes fabulous photographs thanks to a bit of help.
“Don’t be bashful,” says Mr. Despot, “ask for help, use a cane, don’t be silly like I was, people are happy to help you.” He also advises people to check out the visual aids that are available like talking books and magazines at the library.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease among people over 60. It causes deterioration of the macula, the central area of the eye’s retina. The paper-thin macula is where light-sensitive cells send visual signals to the brain. Damage to the macula results in blurred or distorted vision and potentially the development of blind spots.
Following Mr. Despot’s initial diagnosis of AMD in his right eye, in 2000, his left eye started having problems. He agreed to experimental shots which helped for a couple of months but soon curtailed those treatments. He wondered, will I still be able to work?
In 2001 the answer came, no longer able to competently read numbers in his facility management job, he quit working and went on disability. “It is like dipping your finger in a jar of Vaseline, rubbing the center of a pair of glasses and trying to look through them, everything in the center of my vision is blurred,” said Mr. Despot.
He takes Ocuvite, a vitamin which contains zinc, and his eyes have remained steady for nine years.
His computer reads text to him, he uses six power binoculars to read street signs and see things in the distance, asks for help when traveling or travels with his wife, Sue, and mostly accepts what has come his way, with one exception. “Not being able to drive is the most difficult challenge and having to depend on people to drive you around, that is the biggest hindrance to me. Reading menus is difficult too, food is pretty important to me. I just order what I guess they will have in each restaurant, although buffets can be interesting, one day I bit into a lemon thinking it was a french fry,” said Mr. Despot.
He’s fallen a couple of times and sees objects he can’t identify and shared that a sad note he read on-line from another AMD patient, who was angry with the world, brought tears to his eyes. Mostly, however, he considers himself lucky. First, he lost his eyesight slowly so he had time to adjust to the changes in his vision, second, he has a great attitude and third, he has a hobby he loves.
His current cameras include a new Nikon D300, Sony DSLR-A350, Nikon Coolpix S6, Sony DSC-H1 and Sony SDC-H9. He uses the Sony DT 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 and Sony 50mm 1.4 lenses. He also uses a magnifying device called a “shade” and the auto focus feature 99 percent of the time. On his Microsoft computer he can magnify images by six powers. He also does more and more work in Adobe Photoshop, software designed for manipulating, editing, and creating images. “People like things that are not real because they see real things all the time. There is something interesting and different in a purple sky,” said Mr. Despot. He added, “Photography appeals to me, I see things in the photos I don’t see when I’m there.”
When asked about his trips to Africa, where he has a friend that has lived there 35 years, Mr. Despot said, “I just love Africa! Seeing the elephants in the wild is so amazing and I was so close to them too, only six to 10 feet away, it was such a thrill. Giraffe’s are such huge animals, they just sort of blend into their surroundings, so interesting and then to see lions just lying under a tree, just fantastic!”
A friend in California showed Mr. Despot one of the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) calendars full of photographs and suggested he contact AHAF. Mr. Despot used to take a good deal of photographs and had gotten away from it when he got busy with work and it got expensive. “We are very pleased to showcase the talents of Mr. Despot and to have such a positive and inspiring person sharing his philosophy of coping with adversity. He is living proof that life doesn’t end when presented with challenges, in fact, sometimes it begins again,” said Mrs. Kathleen Honaker, AHAF's previous Executive Director.
And what advice does Mr. Despot have to share with others dealing with the challenges of macular degeneration, “Don’t just sit on the couch, get out, experiment and see what you CAN do, find out what visual aids are out there to help you. Don’t be afraid of what people are thinking of you, live your life. Ask for help, people want to help you. Most importantly, if you have a hobby, don’t give it up; find a way to continue doing it.”
Last Reviewed On: 12/18/09
