Amanda Hamm

Davida Luehrs, a longtime resident of Reston, knows firsthand the challenges that come with losing one’s sight.

She has been visually impaired since the late 1980s, when she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) at age 28. The disease causes a gradual loss of peripheral vision – a sighted person has 180 degrees of vision; Luehrs is down to less than five degrees.

Luehrs was living in Bethesda, MD, when she began having problems with her vision. She had just left a radio station to pursue a career in advertising when she had trouble reading through the classifieds. She thought she just needed reading glasses.

Luehrs went to see an ophthalmologist and was told she had a degenerative retina disease, which could result in the loss of her vision.

Luehrs, along with husband Jim and their three children, moved to Reston in 1991. She and Jim decided that Reston would be the perfect place to live as it was a planned community, which would make things easier for Luehrs since she could no longer drive.

Luehrs was the first person in her family to be diagnosed with RP, but her daughter Rachel also has the condition. Rachel, 21, was diagnosed with RP in 2005. Leuhrs’ other children, Jimmy and Jessica, have not shown signs of RP.

Luehrs is now 52. She says she refuses to let RP keep her from living her life. She uses the Metro Access Program, a shared-ride service available for individuals who have a variety of disabilities, as a means of travel. She said that it takes time and planning to get around to all the places she needs to go.

“Adjusting to not being as mobile was a huge challenge at first,” said Luehrs. “I gave up my license in 1988 as a result of the disease.”

Luehrs considered forming a support group in the early 1990s as a way to reach out to others. That desire eventually led Davida to contact the Foundation Fighting Blindness in April 2005. Her goal was to start a Northern Virginia chapter.

“Macular degeneration is growing and it’s the sister disease to RP,” said Luehrs. “It is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S.”

Inspired by her children’s physically active lifestyles, Luehrs became motivated to set a goal for herself. She has personally challenged herself to walk 175 miles – one mile for each degree of vision she has lost. She plans to meet her goal by this Saturday, before the Sixth Annual 5K VisionWalk takes place in Reston. Luehrs’ team has raised more than $15k for the event.

Overall, the Foundation Fighting Blindness has a goal of raising $150k this year.  Luehrs also wants to raise awareness of the organization, both nationally and locally.

“I consider working for the Foundation Fighting Blindness as an absolute labor of love,” said Luehrs.

(Original article can be viewed online at http://reston.patch.com/articles/reston-resident-turns-disability-into-new-life-path)

**Photo Credited By Davida Luehrs**