My name is Julianne, I'm 28, but I have had congenital nystagmus since 4 months old. In hindsight, I had challenges as a kid because of my eye condition but it didn't make me feel different from my peers. When I got older, people would sometimes ask me if I was nervous, which made me insecure and anxious when meeting new people. Vision therapy has made me feel less insecure talking to new people. Almost as soon as I started the exercises in the 45-week program (approx. 2 weeks in) my eyes were able to focus more easily on a person's face during a conversation-the eyes felt more controlled. My peripheral vision is amazing too at this point-halfway through the program-because I can have a conversation with three people and see all of them and the room while focusing on the one specific person speaking. I used to be able to only see the one person talking and had to turn my head a lot to calm down the eye movement (or try not to). To date, my nystagmus is still present but I am very thankful for this progress and the wonderful team at Vision for Life and Success!

Liam had a big appointment this afternoon with his regular Ophthalmologist here in Australia, the first one since starting the therapy program phase 2. We are 9 weeks into the 45 week program. He was 20/40 as a kid, then went to 20/300 when he needed a peel surgery, then stabilized at 20/80 a year post surgery which is the amount of time to properly assess the success of the surgery. I have been testing him at home the last month coming in at 20/60 then 20/40 and then 20/30 last week. Today the Ophthalmologist tested him in the surgery at the end of the school day and he tested at 20/30 !! Our ophthalmologist made the comment that “his vision results are nothing short of a miracle”. His surgery scar is still there affecting his vision and he still is testing better than his long term vision as a kid before surgery. We have been praying for Leo and working hard 5 days a week on his therapy. Liam has been able to see a lot more in his everyday life including being able to read small text novels, being able to see the basketball hoop more clearly when playing and he can now see our carport from our kitchen which he hasn’t been able to do previously. Thanks for all your support! We are looking forward to his vision improving even more from here.

When I first started visual therapy in May I felt like everything I was doing was impossible and I thought it would never get easier. Patching was really hard in the beginning. I would put the patch on and I could barely get my eye to focus just to see because of the nystagmus (from my albinism) and I was having trouble trying to do the activities. It still isn’t easy but I can tell that the nystagmus has calmed down some. My right eye has been harder to control than my left eye. Before I started my balance was terrible, almost nonexistent. Trying to get a syntonic measurement was hard and would take a few minutes to get my eyes to focus enough to be able to see.

My peripheral vision started opening up pretty quickly but it took me a while to be aware that it was opening. I think the first time I really noticed what I was able to see was in July. I was actually sitting in church on Sunday morning and there was a light off to the side that was flickering and I was able to see it. It was actually really distracting:) That was the beginning of me being aware of all the things I could see because of the peripheral vision that was opening up.

It was around that time or maybe into August that I started to notice the nystagmus slowing down a little. I was starting to be able to control my eyes better than I was before and I was starting to see success with the activities and stuff that I was doing while I was patching.

In October I started going to a Bible college in Oregon and that was a hard transition. The first month especially was stressful and I didn’t get much sleep. Stress and lack of sleep have always been two big triggers for my nystagmus and while that was still there I know my nystagmus would have been a lot worse if I had been going through all of that before starting therapy..

I have been doing simple balance exercises while I do syntonics and I have been being more intentional about working on my balance and I have noticed that it has gotten a lot better. Before I started it was so bad that I couldn’t even stand on one foot. But it has gotten so much better.

Before I started therapy I couldn’t write in a straight line on a blank unlined piece of paper. At church a couple weeks ago all I had to take notes on was a blank unlined piece of paper and I noticed that I was able to write in a straight line. I had to work at it but I was able to. I can read the slides that the teachers have for us in class and as long as the print isn’t super tiny or a weird color I can read the words. I have even seen improvement on how I am able to read the slides since the beginning of October when I started school. Wednesday nights we have a worship time where we sing worship songs and I usually try to be in the front so I can read the words that are put up on the projectors. Last Wednesday I came in late and was in the back which is a ways away from the screen. I was able to make out the words. It was a little hard to get my eyes to focus but I was able to and read the songs. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do that without therapy.

I'm 24 and have congenital nystagmus. I finished my seven weeks of therapy with Vision for Life. I can already tell that my vision is improving. I didn't used to go around the house or go for a walk without my glasses but now I feel comfortable walking without my glasses. Before when I used to see the stuff that is closer to me, it was blurry but now it's more clear. I didn't enjoy reading books because of headaches and eye strain after 20 minutes of reading but now I can read for hours without any problems and now I enjoy reading. I am really happy that I can at least read now learn something new every day and build my confidence. All my life, I thought there was no hope but when I found out about Vision for Life I was so happy. A massive thank you to Vision for Life!!  I am excited to continue my therapy and cannot wait to see the end result.

Before this program he was not able to read, watch tv, couldn’t see colors consistently, and on good vision days could see outlines and silhouettes. Now, he can identify colors quickly and is even reading and writing again. He is also able to read some of the captions on the tv. While in the car, he can see other cars and what color they are, highway signs, people walking. He can also see himself in the mirror and now can see his wife and his sister. He is brushing his teeth on his own, and is able to look at himself in the mirror as he does it. For the first time about a month ago, he was able to see and point to his vision therapist, Amber, on the laptop screen.

Doctor's Note:

After open heart surgery, patient had several strokes which affected a lot of different areas within the brain. Problems in occipital lobes right cerebellum right brainstem and both cerebral arteries were affected. Initially, he had no vision and was considered to be no light perception, also known as NLP. He seems to only have one usable quadrant of vision and can see silhouettes in that quadrant. Every now and then he can see colors or, a letter or a sign. He cannot read or watch TV or drive. Initially he had left sided motor weakness and went through PT and memory therapy. Also had speech therapy.

There have been remarkable improvements in his vision since we started back in June 2022 after his watershed stroke leading to cortical blindness. We can say that using your syntonic or light therapy and eye exercises in close coordination with your wonderful, supportive and enthusiastic Therapist, Cheri, has helped Robert significantly with his visionWeek 9 Syntonics Report from August 7-12, 2022. Some Notes: - There were days that he's starting to wake up with a pinch clearer vision but doesn't last long. - The images on the TV are not yet clear but he can recognize at times what were the images. - He's started to identify some Apps on his iPad like the Audible where he listens to audiobooks and able to touch the right icons e.g., play, pause or stop - He's started to recognize the numbers on his iPhone while I tell him the numbers to dial. - He's practicing writing but he writes words in big bold letters so he can read them afterwards. He's not yet able to write straight or within the lines of the notebook. - He's continuing to practice reading words and group of words of various sizes. Still having a hard time to read small or fine prints.. At the doctor's office Robert is able to read the 20/40 eye chart test with squinting and working his eyes to focus on the letters. This is a wonderful improvement considering where he started because He was told that he was cortically blind at 20/400. On an added note, his eye doctor, recommended to continue what he's doing. ~ Yuri

Since beginning Therapy, I was able to cut out paper hearts for my daughter to glue on her school valentine box. This is yet another task I thought I would never be able to do again because of my stroke and vision loss.

When I first had my stroke, I couldn't see very well at all, it was very blurry. I had absolutely no depth perception and very very restricted vision. I couldn't see anything on my left and reading was almost impossible. I could not drive, which I still can't, but I'm getting closer. Now I am able to read a lot easier, I am able to work again, luckily from home. I am able to take walks and cross the street a lot easier, and walk around in the store without worrying about getting lost. It's getting easier every day to see more and more around me, it may not be crystal clear, or even completely in my sight, but I am aware it's there and see something as before, I didn't see anything. I couldn't even see myself in the mirror. I could not comprehend or figure out what I was even looking at. Luckily with therapy all that has changed. I am able to do everything by myself without having to worry about depending on everyone else. It is a lot of hard work, but I am determined to drive again. It's my ultimate goal. I truly am blessed to have found Dr Steinhauer, Cheri Bagwell, and everyone at Vision For Life & Success. I am definitely able to see more now than I ever thought I would ever be able to see again.  Especially after every other doctor told me all the vision that I regained in the first 6-9 months after my stroke is all the vision I would ever get back, and there was nothing I could do about it. I am going to keep doing my therapy and exercises until I can drive. I will get there soon. Thanks again for everything.

Dr. Julie , this morning I could read line 7 from 10 feet away …first time!!!!!!! I could only do line 6 before.

Since starting vision therapy after my stroke, my eyesight is better, I have less headaches, my visual field is improved and I no longer see blank or black spots on people’s faces, I can see the "ticker tape" information on the tv and I am more comfortable using my cell phone more these days!

He is definitely showing some progress with his sight. Seeing more of his Surroundings and people when he focuses. I’m noticing his a little more Sensitive too late. Not in a bad way. Just notices it more. A few new things happened this week. A couple days ago while I was helping him with his therapy. He told me that he can see light the entire time doing therapy. when he tells me light he means that he can see the circle of the lamp light, which I thought that was the only time he could actually see light, so the last few weeks were a miss understood.. just to confirm that my dad see’s light the entire time and only for those seconds he will see the circle from the lamp light. Second I Wrote out letters of the alphabet on white flashcards And held them up one by one about 3 feet away from my dad, on a white notebook. He was able to tell me every letter I held up. When I there were two or three letters next to each other He had a hard time seeing all three of them, but could see one or two. Also his caregiver tapes up colored Poster boards on the walls in his bedroom and has some sit in the middle and point to the colors he asked. My dad does really well with that too. The one color he had a hard time finding is the blue. I think that’s it for right now. We’ve been super busy and excited with his improvements.

"After 1 month of Syntonics, I've noticed that Waylon's eyes don't go outward/in the opposite direction of one another as much as they previously did. I haven’t noticed one eye getting “stuck” in quite a while. By stuck I mean one eye staying in the outward position while his other eye is straight, and moving in alignment with the object he is focusing on. Which is AWESOME, and makes me super excited!!! Aside from that he has started saying a lot of new words, and even puts 2-3 of the new words together to make small sentences! Such as, “Baby go night night.”, “I go see ma”, “The ball red”.

I was diagnosed with amblyopia at the age of 5 in my right eye and wore glasses my entire childhood into my early 20s. I remember always struggling in school with reading since my eyes were at different prescription levels making it difficult for me to keep track of my place. It wasn’t until my college years that I noticed my right eye progressively getting worse. Every time I went to my yearly eye checkup appointment my prescription would increase but only on my right eye. At this point I knew I wanted to do something about this before it continued to get worse as I was starting to notice more and more how it was affecting my daily life. I decided to look into surgery to correct my amblyopia once I noticed it was impacting my motor ability to drive. I was 23 years old when I decided to go in for a consultation for surgery but was denied the surgery since my eye turn was classified as “minor.” During this consultation I was however offered the option to get laser eye surgery to correct the prescription difference between my two eyes. Since I was desperate, I decided to move forward with the laser eye surgery in 2018 and although I did stop wearing glasses for a while, after a couple of months post-surgery I started noticing again that I was having a difficult time reading. I later came to find out that unfortunately I needed glasses again since my right eye was still not at the same level as my left eye. I was reaching a point in my life where I dealt with major discomfort in my right eye since I constantly felt a tug sensation when my eye would deviate making it difficult for me to focus on my daily tasks such as work or drive. This feeling started becoming more and more persistent and it was becoming more difficult for me to drive. This is when I decided it was time for me to research what other options I had available. I remember that I would watch YouTube videos with exercises for a lazy eye and this is how I came across Dr. Julie. I researched the Vision for Life website and after viewing people’s testimonies I decided to take a leap of faith and booked my appointment. There were no institutions near me that offered the services that Vision for Life had to offer. At first, I was a bit concerned since I am in CA, but once I found out that they worked with patients remotely I knew I had to give this a try. I started my Vision for Life Therapy journey in April 2022 and to say this program has changed my life is such an understatement. Not only did this program help me reduce my lens prescription but for the first time ever my right eye is able to read certain letters at 20/20. Never in my lifetime did I think this would be possible given the fact that I had gone through laser eye surgery and still needed glasses. This program has helped me in so many ways and has made a huge impact on my life. I no longer struggle to read, drive, or even get the tug sensation I would get before. Through this program I was able to gain control of my lazy eye, as a result my self-esteem has improved significantly. This program not only changed my daily life by helping me achieve the results I was always looking for, but it also made me realize that people with amblyopia do have options. I am very grateful I came across Dr. Julie and decided to make this investment in myself when I thought I had hit a dead end after an unsuccessful surgery. I am also very thankful for my therapist, Jill, who was very passionate and caring about helping me achieve my success from the very start of my journey.

After 10 weeks of therapyfor reducing myopia and astigmatism, days when I don't do them I feel like I haven't actually woken up. Like when I do the syntonics it feels like someone has hit the refresh button on my eyes.

I love the therapy, my eyes just see much better after them and it gives me a boost for the day.

Before finding out about Vision for Life and Dr. Julie’s office, my situation was hopeless and very depressing. MY JOURNEY I already had been to many different doctors regarding my sudden permanent double vision. I had to be tested to see if I had: - a stroke - brain cancer - brain issues - Multiple Sclerosis - Myasthenia Gravis - Parkinson’s Disease Each test was costly and each wait for results was devastating. Ultimately each test came back negative and I was left with a diagnosis of Strabismus which was the best possible outcome of those I was tested against. Unfortunately, this still left me with double vision and no solutions. I was provided with glasses with prism in them which made it so I only saw one vision when looking through them. But this quickly escalated to my eyes needing more and more prism. I was devastated as to what this would mean for the future of my eyes. I went to specialists in Indianapolis and California. Surgery was suggested; yet, the positive outcomes from surgery were limited. It was expensive, difficult, and rarely successful. I felt entirely hopeless. MY HOPE Then right after fervent prayer, I saw videos online of Dr. Julie explaining a different type of solution for double vision. I had a free consultation with Dr. Julie to discuss my situation and options. She said it would be expensive and it would be a marathon for my eyes; however, after the third phase I would have ¾ of my double vision gone and at the end of the fourth phase my double vision would be completely gone. I finally had hope!! I created a GoFund me account and had many friends and family pitch in to help fund the radical treatment. MY THERAPY I was assigned a vision therapist who met with me every week over Zoom. Every day I did syntonics light therapy and then I would also do assigned vision therapy exercises. Dr. Julie was not kidding when she said it would be like training for a marathon for my eyes! Doing the syntonics and exercises was very hard work and took diligence, persistence and dedication. These also took at least an hour of time each day to do. At first, I was a little frustrated because I wanted quick results. Some exercises I did not get the first couple of times but over the week of doing them they would finally come to me by the end of the week. It felt so good when I could do an eye exercise successfully! My therapist continued to coach me by adjusting what I needed if something was not working, or adding different exercises to work out a particular issue. MY RESULTS Slowly I started noticing that my eyes were not bouncing all over without focusing. I did not feel as unbalanced and wobbly when walking. I could start riding my bike again. The glasses I began the program with were extremely clunky, thick, prismed, and I felt very ugly and self-conscious in them. But after working hard for four months, I was able to get my first “training” pair of glasses with a reduced prism – it was wonderful! It took awhile to adjust to them. My therapist walked me through what to do to adjust my eyes. I continued to be able to reduce my prism and prescription. I wish I had known about Vision Therapy years ago because they would have helped with my overall vision. They have helped me learn many techniques I can do to continue helping my vision as I age. My next pair of glasses have zero prism in them and I cannot wait to get into them! Ultimately, I am working on trying to get back into contacts so I can snorkel with the giant honu in Kauai! I am so thankful for the Vision for Life team and the hope they produced.

I have recently noticed that my acuity has gotten a lot better. When I first started vision therapy on June 17 th 2022 my Snellen chart measurements were OD 20/200, OS 20/63. When I started my second
unit on February 2 nd 2023, my Snellen chart measurements were OD 20/40, OS 20/50. My latest Snellen chart measurements were on June 6 th , 2023 and were OD 20/20, OS 20/20. I physically do not have any
more nystagmus movement, but can still see movement up and down occasionally. I occasionally will still see movement with objects up close, but it is primarily at a distance. When I do see the movement
it is now clear, as before it was blurry. I used to not be able to read the big highway signs, and now I can read them! I used to not drive because of my nystagmus, but now I am driving more often. It used
to be hard to watch tv sometimes because of the movement, but now it is easy to watch tv. ----------------UPDATE: I was able to read for an hour last night. I haven't been able to read a book that long in over a year. I also have a hard time walking down the stairs. I was able to walk down the stairs with no issues this morning, usually I have to close an eye to walk down the stairs, I didn't have to do that.

We found Vision for Life while scrolling the internet when we were concerned, though our son had glasses, he could not see.  Homework seemed to take hours and his emotions were always out of control.  We felt, as parents, his prescription lenses were high power and knew something needed to be done for him to be able to see better and lower that power.  After our first check (after 8 weeks of therapy), we were amazed and grateful for his progress and results.

It has been a commitment, with lots of hours and tears but we cannot thank Dr. Julie and Sherry for their dedication to our son’s care.

Before coming to Vision for Life, we always thought Evie was just accident prone and clumsy.  No one knew her depth perception was nonexistent.  No one knew that her field of vision was only the width of a drinking straw.  That all changed after meeting with Dr. Julie and her staff.  Over the last 12 months, Evie has transformed into an entirely different child.  Her loveable and goofy personality is still here but gone is the timid, uncertain, wall colliding kiddo who dreaded doing vertical math problems because “the numbers jumped around”.  Evie’s ability to focus with her eyes has grown exponentially.  Her rate of car sickness now hardly ever happens anymore.  The six-year-old who would fall off her bike with training wheels while being stationary is now riding her bike without training wheels full speed!  Playing basketball is now a source of enjoyment rather than frustration (dribbling is easier to focus on as well as the backboard).  Evie wants to practice the piano now because she doesn’t get lost anymore when looking at the music to checking her finger placement.  The list goes on.  My husband and I are so grateful for this opportunity to help improve the confidence, safety, and future life that Evie now has to look forward to because she has received the necessary help her vision needed.

A special thank you to her therapist, Sherry T., who week after week was a constant help.  Her encouragement and commitment to Evie’s progress is evident because of the growth that Evie has accomplished.

We are forever thankful for Vision For Life!

"After 2 weeks of Phase 1 therapy - I don't know how quickly this begins to work but Macie says she feels like she is engaging more with people, which I agree, she feels happier and has had good moods lately. She is also expressing herself and emotions more verbally. She is also articulating more of her general thoughts. She actually seeks us out and asks to spend time, which does not usually happen often, we normally have to ask her. She can sing but has always been afraid to let go. The other night while we were all doing karaoke she just opened up and went for it, and told me, "I feel confident." I have never heard her sing like that before, or heard her say that before." - Sam ( Macie's mom)

  UPDATE: She says that she has noticed a difference in her memory and that she is able to remember more information without writing it down all of the time. She has also seen a small improvement in organizing her thoughts as well. Also, her timing regarding her driving has gotten better. UPDATE: Tries challenging and new things more often. Better memory while multi-tasking at work, APD symptoms aren't as prevalent and speech therapist even suggested additional testing to support APD diagnosis since Macie is testing out of the previous age group of 0-12 years old for her assessments, Clarity of faces at distance in church from middle row church pew to stage (dimly lit), Verbalizes more articulately, more fluidly uses bigger words and sequences events more appropriately than before, academic performance: more organized, plans better, more motivated, Better memory, follows oral directions easier, drives better (praise Jesus! :) ) , Her friends say they all notice a huge difference in her, she is more quick witted, speaks more loudly, is more energetic and smiley! More physically affectionate, initiates affection way more than she used to! She has more confidence overall. Better timing and reaction time in sports and in daily life situations. Also, HUGE lens prescription reduction +6.50 to +4.75 so far.

UPDATE: 11/29/2023 Samantha (Macie's mom) said " Just wanted to let you know that Macie told me that when she closed her right eye today during class, sitting close to the back of the room, and looked at the board she could actually make out some words and letters with just her left eye. They were blurry, but she has never been able to actually read anything from that far with her left eye before with contacts in". Madison made the National Honor Society and scored on reading and math in the top of the nation!

I’ve noticed that my symptoms have gotten better these past couple of weeks. I have been reaching for my prism glasses less often. In fact, I haven’t used them at all in over a week. I do still have some strain if I’m doing close work. I baked about 260 cookies for my husband's employee luncheon the other day and still was able to not be down for the count when I was done. (in Phase 1 after 8 weeks) - J G

10/9/2023 - After my surgery, I had struggled with several things vision related, driving long distances being one of them. I drove to my parents' house about 4 hours away last Thanksgiving and suffered the entire time I was there thanks to my eyes. I had started vision therapy in September of last year so I was only a couple months into therapy at this time and only in the syntonics part of it. A year into my therapy, I drove to and from my parents without any issues!!! 8 hours total and no issues! I feel like vision therapy has given me my life back!!

"After 2 weeks of Phase 1 therapy - I don't know how quickly this begins to work but Macie says she feels like she is engaging more with people, which I agree, she feels happier and has had good moods lately. She is also expressing herself and emotions more verbally. She is also articulating more of her general thoughts. She actually seeks us out and asks to spend time, which does not usually happen often, we normally have to ask her. She can sing but has always been afraid to let go. The other night while we were all doing karaoke she just opened up and went for it, and told me, "I feel confident." I have never heard her sing like that before, or heard her say that before." - Sam ( Macie's mom)

  UPDATE: She says that she has noticed a difference in her memory and that she is able to remember more information without writing it down all of the time. She has also seen a small improvement in organizing her thoughts as well. Also, her timing regarding her driving has gotten better. UPDATE: Tries challenging and new things more often. Better memory while multi-tasking at work, APD symptoms aren't as prevalent and speech therapist even suggested additional testing to support APD diagnosis since Macie is testing out of the previous age group of 0-12 years old for her assessments, Clarity of faces at distance in church from middle row church pew to stage (dimly lit), Verbalizes more articulately, more fluidly uses bigger words and sequences events more appropriately than before, academic performance: more organized, plans better, more motivated, Better memory, follows oral directions easier, drives better (praise Jesus! :) ) , Her friends say they all notice a huge difference in her, she is more quick witted, speaks more loudly, is more energetic and smiley! More physically affectionate, initiates affection way more than she used to! She has more confidence overall. Better timing and reaction time in sports and in daily life situations. Also, HUGE lens prescription reduction +6.50 to +4.75 so far.

UPDATE: 11/29/2023 Samantha (Macie's mom) said " Just wanted to let you know that Macie told me that when she closed her right eye today during class, sitting close to the back of the room, and looked at the board she could actually make out some words and letters with just her left eye. They were blurry, but she has never been able to actually read anything from that far with her left eye before with contacts in". Madison made the National Honor Society and scored on reading and math in the top of the nation!

After 12 weeks in Phase 1: You have already helped me achieve something I did not think possible. I had to drive at night to go to an event I wanted to attend- but my husband didn't! Normally, he would have driven me but I thought I would give it a try- and I had no double vision- one traffic light, one car in front of me- it was so good I took the highway and I have not driven one at night for months. ~Laura

After almost 3 months of Phase 1 using Dr Julie's Surrogate method for Syntonics, we see Annabelle's eyes straighter, and they seem to be tracking better together. Annabelle is 7 months old,