NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — One local woman is using her own trials and tribulations to help others in her community.
At the age of 12, Heather Tuck was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye condition that left her blind in 2014.
"They sat me down when I was 12 years old with my parents and the doctor said very frankly you are going to go blind in 20-30 years," Tuck said. "My 12-year-old brain didn't hear 20-30 years. My 12-year-old brain heard you're going blind and for days and weeks I was afraid to close my eyes and go to sleep."
Instead of letting that change her life, she took matters into her own hands.
She sought help at the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind.
It's an organization in New Port Richey off Ridge Road.
After taking classes to help her readjust to a new life she wanted to help others and soon became a teacher there.
"I am a product of the Lighthouse and I am very proud of that and what I have gone through and the struggles that I have gone through personally gives me that experience to not just talk the talk but walk the walk with clients," Tuck said.
Tuck is now working with Southeastern Guide Dogs to help others who are learning to live in a new world.
For more information about Lighthouse for the Blind and Vision Impaired visit their website.
