Blind Woman To Cycle Through Peterborough in Province-Wide Tour; Fundraiser To Create Stem Cell Registry
/Blind author Amber Needham is cycling through Peterborough next Friday as part of a province-wide tour to raise money to begin a stem cell registry.
Mike Rousseau (left) with Amber Needham (right) riding in Bayfield, Ont. just off the southwest coast of Lake Huron. Photo courtesy of Mike Rousseau and McGinny Photography.
Needham is riding a tandem bicycle with friend Mike Rousseau throughout most of southern and eastern Ontario in the span of six and a half weeks. They are riding over 2,500 km and started at St. Thomas on July 4. The final leg ends at the teaching hospital University Health Network (UHN) scheduled for Aug. 20.
They are collecting donations from passersby during their trip with a goal of $80,000. All proceeds go towards the UHN and Dr. Clara Chan.
Needham suffered cornea damage from a retinal lubricant that was on recall — but unfortunately did not know at the time — and triggered a preexisting condition.
Dr. Chan worked on Needham with stem cells known as the Cincinnati procedure provided the author could provide her own donor. She quickly found one from a retired nurse that helped her gain clear vision again. The treatment inspired Needham to help Dr. Chan make this procedure easier for future recipients.
“I was one of one of the lucky ones,” Needham explained. “It was live tissue and I had such a perfect match. What I want to do is help Dr. Clara Chan create a stem cell registry so when it comes time to need this, it’ll make it far less stressful and more efficient.”
Unfortunately, Needham redamaged her eyes from a compost bucket moisture. Invasive fungus hit her eyes, grew over them and put her back to square one with glaucoma damage. The fungus had to be scraped over 17 weeks until it was eradicated. As a result, she can only see centrally and not peripherally.
