Denise Justin: Finding Purpose, Passion & Community

It started with the stairs—Denise Justin, who was then 52, noticed her depth perception was off—and the stairs, in fact looked more akin to a child’s slide. This led to appointments with her optometrist, and a retinal specialist, and eventually a diagnosis of Stargardt disease. And this initially took Denise to some dark places with shock, fear, and the stages of grief kicking in. But she didn’t stay there long—she persevered and now strives to live her life with purpose, passion and joy.

The fear came from not knowing what lay ahead. And it came as her disease progressed and she had to give up different staples of life, like driving her car. It was a step towards the loss of her independence. But she found comfort where she could.

“I found solace by gifting my mini cooper to my son, and in embracing local transit systems,” she says. She also found her inner ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ as she became a frequent Uber user. “I have met the most interesting drivers, all with a story of their own.”

The decision to leave her corporate career in downtown Toronto was also a major blow—but the hours spent in front of a screen was becoming too stressful for her eyes. Here, again, she didn’t stay down for long. She started her own accessory line, complete with a logo that included braille.

And she embraced her white cane. “I placed my ego and fear aside to enhance my safety while travelling. This experience has turned out to be life altering. The cane initiates conversations, and gifts me with VIP support at airports!”

Now, instead of being restricted by her vision loss, she has found hope and community.

“Fighting Blindness Canada is my No. 1 hope—knowing my monthly donations are directly involved in research and treatment gives me hope,” she says.

She also volunteers with FBC. She has participated in FBC’s Young Leaders Mentorship Program, spoken as a panelist with lived experience at View Point events and been an ambassador at FBC’s Cycle for Sight fundraising events.

“The benefit of volunteering is powerful,” she says. “It connects me to my community and educates me.

“Helping others is a gift to all of us. It enhances my healthy social mindset. Connecting with your community is vital. Your community understands, provides support and helps eliminate your sense of isolation.”

She knows she will face other challenges in the future, but that she will be able to overcome them. “Their will be future challenges. I will revisit the stages of grief. What I know for sure: All will be well with the support of my therapist, family, friends and community. I am strong.”