blindness

At the age of three Mike May was blinded after trying to clean a glass jar scrounged from the cluttered garage in the plastic swimming pool in his yard. The jar contained chemicals that, when combined with water, caused an explosive reaction. After several corneal transplants, May  was told he would never see again.

His blindness did not stop him from achieving a very full life; he traveled, started a family and business, and still holds world records in downhill speed skiing. So in 1999, when he learned of a surgery that could restore his vision, he did not immediately jump at the chance

The couple who brought the sick, abandoned kitten to the vet were of the opinion that he should be put to sleep. But the vet felt otherwise and restored him to perfect health, with the exception of his sight. She then set about finding him a loving, permanent home. That home was found in Gwen Cooper.

Despite her low-paying job, tenuous rental situation, and the two cats she already had, Gwen was immediately smitten. The story will be familiar to anyone who’s a sucker for a furry face, but one thing that sets Gwen’s story apart, aside from the challenges presented by Homer’s blindness, is her