Carrying the torch forward - a patient's story

Indranil Bhattacharya was studying in Class 5, when his school certified him as having subnormal vision. At that age, it meant being allowed to sit in the front row and getting some extra time to write the examinations. But as the years went by, he realized that was not enough. It also meant that all the top professions were out of his reach. Excelling in his studies, Indranil had dreamt of becoming an airline pilot. Although his visual impairment came in the way of the fulfillment of this dream, he found the strength to fight back in life.

Indranil wholeheartedly attributes his determination to kick-start his life back on track to LVPEI. He first came to LVPEI, Hyderabad, in 1999, where he was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, a common form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration. Usually found in young people below 20 years of age, Stargardt's disease causes a progressive loss of central vision. In the early stages, patients may have good visual acuity, but may experience difficulty in reading and seeing in dim light.

Indranil too had problems in mobility at night and in reading fine print. But his visits to the Vision Rehabilitation Centres at LVPEI gave him the confidence to lead an independent life. "Today, I don't have to depend on too many people to do my work," says the 36 year old, who recalls being cheated by some bank employees taking advantage of his disability. He is very appreciative of LVPEI's timely and professional services, pointing out that he was issued a medical disability certificate without delay, while a government office would have taken at least three years! He has also learnt about visual aids and special software such as Magic and JAWS for enhancing the quality of life of the visually impaired.

Today, Indranil looks forward to lighting the candle of hope in the lives of others. He wishes to start an NGO focusing on vision rehabilitation in the City of Joy (Kolkata), endeavoring to put his experience and skills to effective use in the service of people with vision impairment.