SupportSight Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia Retina, P.C.

Next Seminar: June 6, 2009

Previous Seminars:

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Remarks by Patrick McGowan

Previous Seminars:

May 31, 2008
The Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF) and George Retina, P.C. joined forces on May 31 to give a seminar on macular degeneration, created to disseminate the latest information on the disease, present strategies for coping and field questions from Atlanta-area residents. The seminar, which was both free and open to the public, was held at the AMC Movie Theatre at the North Dekalb Mall in Decatur, GA.

The first presentation was given by MVRF Executive Director Lea Bramnick, who was present to discuss the history and mission of the organization. Bramnick emphasized the importance of organizations such as the MVRF in disseminating the latest information, helping those affected by the disease lead their fullest possible lives and in raising funds to find a cure.

The second session was focused on presenting the very latest information about macular degeneration and updates on emerging treatment strategies. On hand to discuss the disease and take questions from the eager audience was Dr. John Miller. Dr. Miller touched on the latest researched findings and then opened the floor for a Q&A session.

Dr. Miller remained on stage to present the next session as well. The presentation, entitled "Genetics – Will Your Family Members Get Macular Degeneration?," focused on the most recent information about genetics and macular degeneration. The session was informative and very helpful, not only for those on hand who are living with macular degeneration, but for their friends and family in attendance. This session also closed with audience questions.

Patrick McGowan closed out the seminar with a fantastic presentation about his first-hand account of living with macular degeneration and how to not only live, but live well with the disease. Equal parts information and inspiration, Patrick's talk was well received by the appreciative audience.

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May 19, 2007
May 19 was an exciting day in Atlanta for people with macular degeneration, as well as their families and friends. Georgia Retina, PC, teamed with the Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF) to present a free seminar for the public at the North DeKalb Mall AMC movie theatres. The enthusiastic crowd indicated that this large population was eager for information.

Lea S. Bramnick, Executive Director of MVRF, explained that the mission of MVRF is to fund research into the cause, prevention, treatment, and ultimately the cure for macular degeneration is aided by the fact that one hundred percent of all dollars raised go toward this goal, as the organization is entirely underwritten for all administrative expenses.

Dr. Robert Stoltz of Georgia Retina discussed the newest research and treatment options for macular degeneration, and the audience asked informed and thoughtful questions.

The subject of friends and families and the important role they play in helping someone to deal with macular degeneration was discussed by Deborah Shimberg, an expert from the Center for Visually Impaired.

Finally, Richard Bagley addressed the crowd to talk about his own experiences with macular degeneration, how it has affected his life and how he has learned to cope and thrive with it.

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Atlanta Low Vision Fair

May 20, 2006
Georgia Retina, P.C., partnered with the Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF) to present a Low Vision Fair on May 20, 2006. The free fair, which was held at the Center for the Visually Impaired, was very well-attended. This confirmed the need for information about available tools and information to enhance the lives of those with macular degeneration.

Vendors and staff presented products and services for people with visual impairments, who were able to ask questions and participate in hands on demonstrations. The equipment on hand included Nuvision glasses, Jordy, computer products, gadgets and other aids designed to help people who have low vision live independent and positive lives.

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November 12, 2005
On Saturday, November 12, the Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF) partnered with Georgia Retina, PC, to conduct the third seminar in a free informational series about living with macular degeneration. More than 125 people attended the meeting, which featured speakers addressing the sensitive issue of dealing with depression that might result from a diagnosis of macula degeneration. Patients, along with their caregivers, friends and families, listened to the speakers and asked intelligent, compassionate questions that enhanced the overall agenda of the meeting.

Michael Jacobson, M.D, talked about the diagnosis of macular degeneration. He gave a basic overview of the disease so people who don’t have it can have a better appreciation of what their friend or loved one experiences. Nancy Jennings, a licensed social worker at the Center for the Visually Impaired, talked about the feelings of isolation and despair that can lead a person toward depression after their diagnosis. Her talk was honest and enlightening, and she acknowledged the difficulty in overcoming the emotional issues that may be present with the loss of sight. She provided concrete solutions and suggestions for people coping with these delicate issues, and also gave caregivers and family members ideas for opportunities to participate in helping their loved one to cope.

Lea S. Bramnick, representing MVRF, talked about the mission of the unique organization, which exists to fund research for a cure for the disease and also help people who suffer from it. Ms. Bramnick explained that all of the funds raised go directly to research, because one hundred percent of MVRF’s administrative costs are covered privately. The Foundation, headquartered outside of Philadelphia, is partnering with practices across the country to bring free seminars to people living with macular degeneration. In addition to Atlanta, the group is currently putting on seminars in 22 other cities nationwide.

The final speaker was an exceptional woman, who is legally blind, who talked about how she has learned to adapt to life with limited vision, and passed along concrete tips and humorous anecdotes that made the experience of living with macular degeneration seem less frightening for those newly diagnosed. She shared stories that had people laughing and also brought them to tears. The enthusiasm from the audience was obvious, and the crowd was eager to set the date for the next meeting.

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June 15, 2005
Georgia Retina, P.C., partnered with the Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF) to present a seminar on services for visually impaired people, the fourth in a series of events designed to raise awareness and educate people with macula degeneration. Held on June 25, the seminar was attended by more than 150 people.

Lea S. Bramnick, Executive Director of MVRF, told the audience about her organization, which is based outside of Philadelphia. MVRF raises funds for research toward the prevention and treatment of macula degeneration, the leading cause of adult vision loss. One hundred percent of the money raised goes toward research, as all administrative costs of the foundation are underwritten. The group has partnered with private practices like Georgia Retina in nearly twenty cities across the country to create these seminar series.

Adam Martidis, M.D, of Georgia Retina, discussed the newest research and clinical trials for macular degeneration. His presentation was followed by Mark J. Rivellese, M.D., also of Georgia Retina, who talked about the newest treatment options available. Dr. Rivellese also gave a presentation about low vision services and adaptive aids available in the Atlanta community.

Two local patients with macular degeneration provided personal accounts of how their disease has affected their lives, and demonstrated positive attitudes and tips for coping with diminished sight. Both Bobby Wall and Kathryn Mozley were inspirational for the rapt audience.

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Atlanta is 17th City to Host MVRF SupportSight Meeting

November 13, 2004
Atlanta-area residents were the latest group to join in SupportSight, a national series of seminars for patients with macular degeneration. Atlanta is the seventeenth city to host these periodic seminars, and the first event here on November 13 attracted more than 100 attendees.

SupportSight is sponsored locally by Georgia Retina, P.C., in cooperation with the Macula Vision Research Foundation (MVRF), an organization based outside of Philadelphia. MVRF worked with the retina surgeons at Georgia Retina to put together a program that was of interest and importance to many who suffer with macular degeneration as well as their families and caregivers.

The meeting started with Dr. Scott Lampert providing an overview of the disease for the audience. Next, Dr. Atul Sharma discussed currently available treatments, followed by Dr. Sean Koh, who updated the crowd on research involving vitamin therapy.

Motivational speaker Mary Betty Roeder, a patient with macular degeneration, energized and invigorated the group with her discussion on how she lives and copes with the disease. Lastly, Lea Bramnick, Executive Director of MVRF, talked about her unique organization and its mission in conducting similar seminars across the country.

There was a lively question and answer period, and plans are underway for the next Atlanta seminar in the near future.

The Macula Vision Research Foundation’s mission is to find the cause, prevention, treatment and cure for macula vision diseases with the goal of saving sight and providing public education about the condition. One hundred percent of every dollar raised goes directly to the funding of research, as all of the administrative costs of the organization are underwritten. The organization can be reached, toll-free, at 1-866-4-macula (866-462-2852).

The Macula Vision Research Foundation Support Group’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of the ever-growing population who are affected by or concerned with macular degeneration through public education. The 866-4-macula hotline will respond to the needs of patients, their families and loved ones, through question and answer sessions following all public education programs and providing printed and taped literature.

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Remarks by Patrick McGowan, Atlanta SupportSight Seminar

May 31, 2008
Good Morning Everyone. My being here today was the outcome of a serendipitous occurrence in my eye doctor’s office, who on learning I was an artist asked me if I would mind telling my story on having Macular Degeneration. I am an artist… a sculptor to be exact. Sculpture has been my life, my passion from the time I left the crib. My career as a sculptor has had its ups and downs, but the experience of touching people through my works with sadness, gladness and laughter has brought its own rewards. At 79, my fervor for sculpting continues to swell; it is for me a way of life. Getting the word that I had Macular Degeneration and would be losing my eyesight. Well, It was my own 9-11.

Several years ago, I walked into my living room to watch evening television and noticed my vision was suddenly blurred and the center of what I was viewing looked as though it was smeared like what is done on TV to hide a person’s face and/or undesirable area. Several days later, I was diagnosed with wet macular degeneration in my left eye. I had little knowledge of macular degeneration and it’s consequences. When the retinologist described the condition and it’s devastating potential gone untreated, I was painfully stricken. As an artist whose life was through my eyes, it was crippling news on both a spiritual, emotional and physical level. I was temporarily down, but not out.

All too often, we blame God directly for the misfortunes that befall us. My way of looking at my having MD, cancer and other maladies is in the belief that God created all things with an end. He also created all things with their own unique nature or modus operand. Spiritually, I had no problem in that I didn’t strike out at my maker. What had happened to me was the result of my body acting out its nature and how I used or misused its assets over the years. I have never believed God singles out any mortal with the intent of doing them harm or in punishment. Everything has an established nature from its creation and it is in acting out that nature in conjunction with or in opposition to other natures that we have juxtapositions or collisions, so to speak.

My emotional recovery though was a matter of accepting the situation, which came without too much difficulty. My philosophy is that survivors of life look at disasters as a challenge and find ways to beat them. You push yourself back up, dust off your knees and take the first step. Good can be found in every bad event and that good always renders us stronger than before. My right eye was unaffected and I found the peripheral vision in the left eye was still useable. So, I had a way through this. Many years ago, midway in my career, I asked myself what I would do were I to lose my sight. To answer that question, I began practicing my sculpting blind folded. With a highly developed sense of touch, I found I could do a masterful portrait by feeling the contours of the subject and comparing them to the clay model. It would not be as exacting nor would it have the detail as would be with normal vision, but the portrait I modeled took on a character that was unique, unlike any I had ever done before. It was more sensitive. I have since seen works done by those who are blind and have found in those works the same uniqueness, the same sensitivity to the subject being rendered. So, I was encouraged knowing I had this option to work with as well.

In relating the physical aspects of my situation, I need to explain some basic theories about what I see and how I see as an artist. Without light… there is no dimension. Sight is the embodiment of light into shapes and forms. It is digitized, so to speak, and sent on to the brain for interpretation. Following that interpretation, we get a print out of a recognizable image. We get a picture. Everything we see is an aggregate of shapes and forms defined by light or the lack thereof. In the true sense of the term, we don’t see detail, we see impressions. This is a fact brought to the fore by early painters who used dots, lines and posterizing in composing their paintings of everything from landscapes to portraits. This theory was primary in my coping with MD. I found methods to contrast one shape or contour against another. I increased studio lighting and donned a head mounted magnifying apparatus to further enhance my impaired vision. One such piece done under these circumstances is the sculpture, “Surf’s up” which was at the height of my eye problem.

Having worked out all that had befallen me and settled once again in my work, I was told my right eye turned from dry to wet MD. Both eyes were in trouble. Now that news was a little more difficult to swallow. I felt suspended over a bottomless pit. The condition was in its early stages and had not yet affected the macula, it just laid off to the side in a threatening manner. If I closed my left eye and looked at a white wall, I could see the black spots in the lower portion of my view. Dealing with this new development was primarily a reenactment of my past ordeal with the left eye. However, this time, the prospects were a bit more threatening and it took a little longer to recover.

As if this were not enough, about a month ago, the retina in my left eye became detached. This same eye also has a cataract. Through surgery, the retina was repaired and I can still see color and large shapes relatively well.

The medical field has done miraculous things in changing the course of our body’s nature. Public awareness of MD has been brought to the fore and the research for solutions has been aggressive. Then, there’s Dr. Stoltz of Georgia Retina who has shown me meticulous care and compassion using the latest in technology. Nature besets us with trials that are the consequence of other natures interacting with our own. We have no control over these events leaving us with little choice but to accept them. We do have the choice though to innovate, to change, to reconstruct and make a new way. Modeling a sculpture takes longer, but changing my style of modeling makes it easier. Increased lighting and magnification have also helped me surmount my malady.

Giving up is not a solution it only makes the matter worse. Oh, I feel pangs of despair at times, but they are only temporary as I reason that there is excitement in the challenge to overcome my enemy. I have this need to win and win, I will.

www.sculpturebypatrickmcgowan.com

Sculpture... it adds another dimension to art
Creativity is the embodiment of a vision, emotion, or thought.

Sculpture 1    Sculpture 2

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Contact

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SupportSight

Macula Vision Research Foundation SupportSight
Five Tower Bridge
300 Barr Harbor Drive, Suite 600
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2984

Please call Lea Bramnick
Toll free 1-866-462-2852
1-866-4-macula
Email: lea@mvrf.org
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