Hi, I’m Karen.

A little about me.

Karen is a native of the Pittsburgh area, but offers virtual sessions to meet the needs of all Pennsylvanian’s. At birth, Karen was diagnosed with congenital cataracts and glaucoma stemming from a mutated gene carried in her family. Karen’s cataracts were removed at two days old and from birth to age four, Karen had extensive exams and procedures along with countless drops to monitor and treat her glaucoma. At age four, Karen had a Trabeculectomy which was successful and led to an extended period of stability until the age of seven when she was diagnosed with an infection (blebitis) which caused her to loose all remaining functional vision in her right eye. Due to continual pain from glaucoma, Karen had her right eye removed at age nine and has been a prosthetic wearer ever since. Karen continued on in stable condition until 2020 when she stopped responding to glaucoma medication. After transitioning to an adult specialist, Karen was diagnosed legally blind and underwent a Trabeculectomy in her left eye. This procedure was mostly unsuccessful leading to two revisions along with the placement of a tube shunt.

Since 2020, Karen has lost significant vision in her left eye and continues to undergo surgical procedures to maintain as much vision as possible for as long as possible. Karen has had many victories and set backs along the way including a retinal detachment and deteriorating cornea in need of a transplant. While Karen does still currently have functional vision, the likelihood of her maintaining that vision for more than a few years is low. Karen has prepared for continual vision loss by receiving orientation and mobility training, accessing assistive technology, and working with specialists such as vocational rehabilitation and occupational therapy.

Karen is passionate about helping others in the blind community find their place in the world. She believes that the sky is the limit when it comes to what people in the blind community can achieve and she knows first hand how scary is it to navigate a world that was not made for you.