Aberdeen Rotary Club have raised the funds for an OrCam, which is being gifted to one of NESS’s service users, Jolene Whyte (pictured).
Aberdeen Rotary club member Alan Duthie explains, “When Margaret, one of our members, developed a visual impairment, we felt it would be a good idea to fund an OrCam for her as other friends had benefited hugely from having one. However, Margaret passed away before we could buy the device”. Alan explains further, “We decided to gift an OrCam to someone who would really benefit from it as a lovely way to remember Margaret. Margaret’s brother contributed the collection from Margaret’s funeral, individual Rotarians made donations, and the Rotary Club also put money in from their Charities Fund”.
Having made contact with NESS, Alan worked closely with the fieldwork team to identify a suitable recipient for the OrCam. It was agreed that Jolene Whyte would benefit greatly from the Rotary’s generous gift in Margaret’s memory. Jolene Whyte, age 36, has two young children. She has had a loss of vision in her right eye since birth, and her vision has since deteriorated. Jolene says, “I’ve dealt with my vision loss my whole life, it’s never stopped me doing anything, but to be told I’ll never see my kids grow up, or watch at school, or on their wedding day breaks my heart deeply. No words can explain how hard it’s been on me mentally and emotionally”.
Thanks to the funding from the Rotary Club, Jolene feels she has an amazing chance at a normal-as-can-be life. “The OrCam glasses will help me so much in life to deal with daily tasks and the challenges life throws at me. I’m strong and I will keep being strong for me and my beautiful children to give them the best life possible. Thanks so much everyone, I’m truly grateful”.
The OrCam is a unique piece of technology which clips to the person’s glasses and helps someone who is visually impaired to access information and identify their environment. At a cost of over £3,500, it often requires finding external funding to pay for it.
