Jenna Sees The Sun Again
She suddenly became blind. The doctors thought it was Amaurosis fugax, a temporary loss of vision but soon feared the worst.
Imagine being young, vibrant and full of life, seeing people, colors and getting up early at dawn to drink coffee on the porch and watch the sun rise...and then suddenly one day all that changes as darkness fills your vision. You panic because you know you're not asleep. All of your other senses work but you can see nothing!
Jenna knows such fear. She lived the experience of being completely void of sight. The first time that it happened, she was at a cafe. After crying out, her friends helped her to their car and took her to the ER. While doctors ran test, her vision came back. Physicians gave her the best treatment and after having a specialist come in, they diagnosed Jenna with Amaurosis fugax. Its a condition that causes temporary loss of vision. The episodes can last for up to 30 minutes.
Sadly, Jenna's condition was a lot serious than what she'd been diagnosed with. The episodes came more frequently and lasted longer. Sometimes an entire day. Tests for retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma came back negative. Seasoned medical professionals were stumped. Reluctantly, they prepared the family for disappointment. It appeared they would need to get her 24 hour care because they felt her sight would eventually be lost forever.
Of course, the family was devastated and had accepted the report. Jenna laughed in the face of despair. She tried cheering her loved ones up. She reminded them that she was the gal who had been voted the most stubborn in school. There was no way she was going down without a fight.
Everyday, with the help of her parents, family and friends, Jenna insisted on keeping her regular routine. Some days she had a bit of sight but everything always looked fuzzy and she could only really see an outline of a person or thing - while other times she would go throughout the entire day without seeing a single thing. Still, she a woke early every morning and had a cup of double dutch fudge roasted coffee and felt the first rays of the sun on her skin. She had her sad moments but would do all she could to remain positive.
One day, something amazing happened. It was one of those days where she had a bit of sight but everything was fuzzy...and then her sight became crystal clear. No fuzz or fog. Clear, bright, colors, objects...she ran in the house. Her mother turned away from the counter to look at her...she asked if everything was okay and then saw the look on Jenna's face and her eyes....there was something different about her eyes.
"You can see me, can't you," her mother asked. Jenna nodded as tears fell out of her eyes. "You're not fuzzy, mom." Her mother hugged her and called out to her husband who was on his way into the kitchen anyway to find out what all the commotion was about. Before, she could tell him what was going on, Jenna exclaimed, "I can see you, dad! Really see you. Not just your outline. Really see you!"
From that day on, Jenna has had perfect eyesight and once again, doctors were stumped and just plain baffled! Her condition had reversed and what use to be just routine is now more valuable to her and has become like a sacred ritual. She really takes it all in. When she sits on the porch, sipping coffee from her favorite mug, she doesn't just watch the sun rise....she sees the sun.
Sources: Jenna Meyers, Hope Center