Carolyn Marie moved to British Columbia in 1987, from Toronto. Legally blind since 1990, Carolyn first lost vision in her left eye, and it happened quickly. It wasn’t until five and a half years later that she lost sight in her right eye. Marie was a single mother. She believes in looking at the bright side of everything, always seeking out the positive. This proved to be a little more difficult while losing her sight.
A resident of Kelowna, Marie lost her sight due to barn swallow droppings. Barn swallows carry diseases, including histoplasmosis, spread by contact with swallow feces, nest materials and dead swallows. Histoplasmosis is a fungus disease contracted through airborne spores in swallow droppings. If swallows have been on your roof for a while, these spores can even infect the soil you garden in down below. Its symptoms may be anything from a mild influenza to blood abnormalities and fever, or even death. An eye condition has been linked to histoplasmosis and it can lead to blindness in those who contract it, as was the case with Marie.
Marie says, “The most interesting thing going blind was the behaviour and reaction of my kids. My son had just received his driver’s license. He had to start driving me places. My eleven-year-old daughter had to start writing cheques for me.”
Marie decided to apply for a guide dog in 2011, so she could be more independent. She received her first guide, Nimbus, in June of that year.
Before her vision loss forced her to stop working, Marie was an occupational therapist assistance, a long-term care aid for geriatrics and soon discovered that her black Labrador retriever had been raised by a volunteer from Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind in the same line of work. Nimbus was a cuddly dog who loved to work, and she was by Marie’s side for eight years.
It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that Marie trained with and received her latest guide dog, Dahlia. It was probably fitting that Marie, with her positive outlook, was still able to receive a dog during that time period.
Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind was facing travel restrictions, social distancing, and all other issues many organizations and individuals were dealing with during the pandemic.
Marie was facing a daunting task of her own. She had temporarily moved from British Columbia to Ottawa to help care for her ailing sister, suffering from cancer.
In April 2021, two months, following her sister’s passing, Marie was still in Ottawa, close to Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind’s National Training Centre, when the organization found a suitable dog that would be Marie’s next guide. Dahlia, another black Lab, was a match for Marie.
During that time, Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind could not host residential training classes and there were national travel restrictions, but with Marie temporarily living locally, it meant the training could take place in the local neighbourhood, where she was still residing at her sister’s home. Whether the reason was luck, fate, or perhaps her late sister’s spirit, the fact that Marie was in the right place at the right time was a blessing.
Marie went home to Kelowna in the summer of 2021 and faced further challenges. The wildfires in B.C.’s interior meant staying inside a little more because of poor air quality. Marie had a new guide dog, but they were limited in how much they could get out, until the fires subsided.
Marie is familiar with her local area and bus routes and gets around on her own. Using guide dogs over the last twelve years, Marie has continued to live an independent lifestyle, getting to places on her own as necessary. Now a grandmother, Marie’s positive outlook is passed on to another generation. Dahlia is a huge part of the family, like most dogs are, but she is also a means for Marie to stay independent and active.
Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind played a positive role in Marie’s life. Marie says, “For sixteen years, I was told ‘you can’t do that’. I didn’t get involved in things when I had to rely on other people to pick me up and I didn’t ever go for walk at night”. Now, with a guide dog by her side from Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, Marie adds, “I can go everywhere.” To learn more about Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind visit guidedogs.ca.
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