Mo Lalani: Adapting to a Life with Vision Loss

If Mo Lalani could offer one piece of advice to someone facing the prospect of vision loss, it would be to not live in fear. Mo was driving to a restaurant with his wife when he noticed the cars in front of him looked blurry. He told his wife he thought something was wrong and they turned around and went home. The next day, he got an eye exam, and was referred to a specialist who confirmed that he had wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Mo, who is 79 years old, made several changes to his life to enable him to navigate the world with low vision. He and his wife sold their three-story house and moved into a condo. He gave up driving and now manages to get where he needs through public transportation, Ubers, and lifts from friends. He gets most of his groceries delivered, and keeps busy as he lives within walking distance to a local museum and a park, and a 20-minute drive to his specialists.

He finds it difficult to see computer screens, so has traded those in for smartphones and tablets, which he uses with the help of assistive apps.

“Don’t live in fear,” Mo says. “Don’t shy away from the situation you think you may have.”

A friend of Mo’s shared with him that he too feared he too was having issues with his eyes, but was afraid of getting an eye exam and losing his licence as a result.

“You need to decide what’s more important to you—your eyes or your flexibility and your ability to being able to drive wherever you want?” For Mo, the loss of his ability to drive is no longer a concern as he has adapted so well to the alternatives.

Mo also shares his experiences with others as an engaged volunteer who works with several non-governmental organizations to help educate and support others in the community.

“Don’t be afraid, go get your eyes tested regularly.”

Visit our Age-related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month page to learn more about AMD.