012 Creating Community with Eavan O'Neill
Today, we're welcoming Eavan O'Neill, a remarkable advocate in the low vision community. Eavan joins us to share her personal journey with vision loss, from her diagnosis of Stargardt disease as a senior in college to finding strength and control through running. More importantly, she shares the inspiration behind creating a vibrant support system called the Brightside community. This conversation highlights the transformative power of sharing your story and connecting with others who truly understand.
The Healing Power of the Shared Story and the Ladder to Acceptance
My conversation with Eavan O’Neill, the founder of Brightside Community, was a profound reminder of a core truth I work with every day in my psychotherapy practice: the adjustment to vision loss, or any disability, is not a linear path but a series of struggles and triumphs, marked by an absolute need for community. Eavan’s experience is a beautiful testament to the concept of post-traumatic growth—the idea that a person can experience positive change as a result of struggling with a traumatic life event.
Eavan’s story of being diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a form of macular degeneration, as a 21-year-old college senior, is a scenario I hear often. A life-changing health crisis hits right at the threshold of adult independence. Her reflection on the cultural misconception of vision loss—that it’s either perfectly corrected with glasses or complete, immediate blindness—resonates deeply with my own experience. That cultural gap in understanding leaves newly diagnosed individuals in an agonizing limbo. They feel profoundly different but are often not "blind enough" to be easily seen as disabled.
I was particularly moved by Eavan’s honesty about her initial reaction to the diagnosis from the ophthalmologist: not fear, but a disorienting perplexity. In fact, she noted that her mother absorbed the gravity of the situation more quickly than she did. This is a common dynamic I see in therapy, where the emotional weight is first carried by loved ones, allowing the patient a crucial buffer period to catch up to their own reality. Eavan’s mother’s distress was, in a way, a painful act of protection. It was the "ton of bricks" that Eavan didn't yet have the framework to absorb herself.
We discussed the depressive period that followed her diagnosis, and Eavan described her eventual pathway out as having "a multitude of things like steps to a ladder." This metaphor is so crucial for my clients to hear. Adjustment is rarely a single, dramatic realization. It is a slow, intentional ascent. For Eavan, those steps included finding a sense of control through running marathons and, most importantly, sharing her story.
As a therapist, I recognized the immense therapeutic value in her decision to talk about her vision loss with friends, family, and, eventually, a community of peers. Sharing a story externalizes the pain; it turns a confusing, internalized burden into a navigable, shared narrative. Eavan noted, “I leave feeling lighter after talking to you,” and that is the objective truth of what psychologists call catharsis. It’s the release of intense, bottled-up emotion.
However, the most inspiring part of our discussion was the genesis of the Brightside community. Eavan founded the group not just out of altruism, but with the stated motivation of helping herself as much as others. This is the beautiful paradox of community: the act of giving support is often the most profound way to receive it. Eavan realized that while her sighted supporters were loving and willing, the level of understanding she craved could only come from someone else who was also navigating life with vision loss. This shared experience creates a safe, "sacred space" where the mundane logistical challenges of daily life—the "advanced chess" of navigating the world that I often speak of—don't need to be explained or justified. They are simply understood.
I especially admired her approach to facilitating the group, including setting ground rules of confidentiality and, notably, letting "the awkward silence sit." This is a classic therapeutic technique—creating a space of patience and expectation that allows participants to wrestle with their thoughts and ultimately decide to share. It honors the organic process of connection.
Finally, Eavan’s concluding thoughts encapsulated the essence of living well with vision loss: acceptance is not the end of grief, but a component of it. She is accepted and happy with who she is, yet she still has hard days and is on a lifelong journey with her condition. This nuanced view is a vital antidote to the societal pressure to be "over it" or "inspirational" all the time. It is okay to feel all the feelings, to cry, and to acknowledge the immense burden we carry.
Eavan O'Neill and Brightside Community are not just offering a support group; they are actively proving that by turning inward to understand our own struggles and then turning outward to connect with others, we build the strongest, most resilient versions of ourselves. If you are on this journey, please find a rung on your own ladder—and Brightside Community is an excellent place to start looking.
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In this deeply personal and inspiring episode, host Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, sits down with Eavan O'Neill, the founder of Brightside Community. Eavan shares her journey of vision loss, beginning with the early signs noticed in elementary school, through the "perplexing" diagnosis of cone dystrophy, which later confirmed as Stargardt disease, during her senior year of college. Her story provides a raw look at the emotional shock of a life-changing diagnosis at a pivotal time—just before the pandemic and her college graduation. We discuss the cultural misconception of blindness as an all-or-nothing experience and the profound, immediate fear that comes with a rare diagnosis where the prognosis is unclear and no cure is offered.
Eavan shares her initial struggle with depression following the diagnosis and the intentional steps she took to climb out of that dark place. She reflects on the "cosmic pause button" the pandemic provided, which gave her the space to process her new reality with her family. A key turning point was realizing the therapeutic power of sharing her story. This led her to find a new sense of control and self through running marathons, and most significantly, to establish a safe, supportive space for others facing similar challenges.
The conversation culminates in an in-depth discussion about Brightside Community, a non-profit support group that has grown to over 150 members worldwide. Eavan details the group’s mission—to connect individuals experiencing vision loss of any kind (age 18+)—and how their meetings offer a vital "other level of understanding" that even the most supportive sighted loved ones cannot provide. She shares the group's structure, including the use of Slack for 24/7 connection, and reflects on the fulfillment of seeing members build real-life friendships. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking community, coping strategies, and a reminder that acceptance is an active component of grief, not its endpoint.
Topics Covered: Stargardt disease, cone dystrophy, navigating vision loss in college, adjusting to disability, parental guilt, the role of research, coping with depression, finding control through running, the power of sharing your story, building community, peer support groups, Brightside Community, acceptance as a component of grief.
https://brightsidecommunity.com/
ABOUT THE PODCAST
inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.
Please be sure to subscribe to catch every episode. And remember to share the show with others in the blind and low-vision community!
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©Integral Mental Health Services, LLC
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The following transcript is AI generated and likely contains errors.
[00:00:00]
COLD OPEN
Alex: This is placeholder for generic voiceover.
Eavan O'Neill: I think there were a multitude of things like steps to a ladder that helped me get out of that mindset and that, that dark place, for the lack of a better phrase. Um, but I do think that. One of the main things that helped is sharing my story, talking about it with friends, family, a therapist, a community, other visually impaired people. It changed my life. I, I think you just gain so much confidence or you can gain a lot of confidence through sharing your story.
INTRO
Matthew Reeves: You're listening to Insight Out a podcast about living well with low vision. Maybe you're feeling confused, scared, isolated, or disheartened about a recent vision loss [00:01:00] diagnosis, or maybe you've been managing your vision loss for a while and now you want to hear from others about how to continue growing and thriving. Insight Out is your supportive space to find healthy and impactful tools to build and maintain a truly rich and gratifying life with low or no vision.
I'm Matthew Reeves. I'm a legally blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor. I specialize in helping people adjust to disability through my practice, integral Mental Health Services in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm really glad you're listening.
Please subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and let others in the low vision community know about the podcast so the word can spread to those who might find it helpful. And now on with today's discussion.
TOPIC INTRO
Alex: this is placeholder for generic voiceover.
INTERVIEW
Matthew Reeves: Evan, welcome to Insight Out. Thanks for being here. Uh, I'm excited to hear your story and, um, your story of building community within the low [00:02:00] vision community and creating connections. Uh, why don't we start by, I'll ask you just to share your story of vision loss and let us get to know you a little bit.
Eavan: Yeah. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here and share my story with you guys today and chat more about vision loss and. And my journey with, with that, um, my story began when I was a senior in college. So it, I mean, I guess it sort of began as early as elementary and middle school when I first noticed signs of vision loss.
But my diagnosis story began when I was 21. So my experience with vision loss has been that my entire life. My vision has been my entire life up to being 21 had been somewhat stable. I first noticed signs of not being able to see as early as, almost like fourth grade. I think I, I was a [00:03:00] big writer and reader growing up and eventually became an English major.
So writing, reading and speaking publicly and all those types of things that go in with English and communications were a big part of my life, my entire life, and still are. But when I was in fourth grade, I remember being in class and the teacher doing a writing lesson and I wasn't able to see the board, and that was one of my earliest memories.
Looking back after being diagnosed and then moving into seventh and eighth grade, I became, I moved a little bit from reading and writing into becoming very into sports, and especially soccer, which was my favorite sport of all time. Still is my favorite sport to watch. But soccer obviously involves a, a small ball and following that ball around a field.
And I also really loved lacrosse, which involves an even smaller ball.
Matthew Reeves: smaller ball.
Eavan: Mm-hmm. So in eighth grade, I remember my lacrosse coach pulled my parents [00:04:00] aside and said, um, Evan's not seeing the ball like she did last season. You know, she might, she might need glasses and I think you should take her to the optometrist and get her eyes checked.
So it had been significant enough that my coach noticed it and, you know, was concerned to the point of telling my parents. And so I remember going to the optometrist and thinking it was really cool because I loved the look of glasses. I thought that they made you look cool and smart. And I was excited to start high school with glasses not knowing that A, they weren't gonna help and BI probably down the road wouldn't be as excited as I was at that point.
Matthew Reeves: Right.
Eavan: But. Um, all that's to say is that throughout high school I did have those glasses and my vision continued to worsen, but I'm sort of a procrastinator. So I put off going back to the optometrist and my vision wasn't, um, bad enough at that point that it really prohibited me from playing sports. So I just continued on and went into college and it was around my junior year of college.
That [00:05:00] it became really bad. I, I stopped being able to recognize people on campus as they walked by me. And I went to a very small, um, liberal arts school in upstate New York. And you kind of knew everyone to some degree. You at least knew most people in your class. And then you, you know, you got to know people really easily.
'cause the school was 2,500 students. And so when I stopped being able to recognize people as they said hello to me and my, you know, I stopped being able to see the board even. To, to a worse degree. Um, I knew something was wrong, but, you know, and you can probably attest to this too, Matthew, it's, I had never heard of vision loss to this degree.
I had never heard of Stargardt disease or retinitis pigmentosa or ushers or anything under the sun. You know, it was either you had glasses or you didn't, and you had contacts or you didn't, and you know, it was, it was either. Corrected through lenses, um, or not, and
Matthew Reeves: if not, it's, it's the, the, the [00:06:00] concept in the head is either it's fixable with glasses or it's complete blindness.
Eavan: exactly
Matthew Reeves: that's the cultural representation of
Eavan: Right?
Matthew Reeves: and movies. Yeah.
Eavan: Right. That's the stereotypical view is like you either have glasses or you have a cane. Right? It's like one extreme or the other. Which I've obviously now learned that it's very much a spectrum, but when I was 21, I, um, during that time of really my vision starting to, to deteriorate, I went home and for Christmas break and ended up seeing my optometrist that I'd been seeing my whole life.
And this was December of 2019 and she said, you know, I. Your eyes keep changing, your vision keeps changing. I don't really know what's going on. And I remember asking her like, should I be worried? Is it worry? Is it worrying you? And she said, I'm not worried. I'm more just perplexed. And I remember that, that sentence so well for some reason, um, because I'm sure it was perplexing for an [00:07:00] optometrist and who probably doesn't see this, you know, every day.
Matthew Reeves: What was it like for you to hear the expert say, well, you're, this is confusing. I don't
Eavan: Like, so scary. But again, like I look back and I'm like, oh, I must have been so scared. And I think I just didn't, I wasn't grasping it, you know, like, like I said, I didn't know that this could even be an option for me. It's not like it was in my family before, or I had ever heard of it. And you know. I just thought, okay, so my eyes are really bad.
I need like a really strong pair of glasses, I guess, and, and, and context as well. Um, but now looking back, like, yeah, that was really scary. It's just, I think at the time I, I didn't understand the. Whole picture and the complexities of it at all. Um, so it was serious enough that the next morning they had me at Main Eye Center to see an ophthalmologist at 8:00 AM and I was there all day with my mom, you know, doing the tests that we do [00:08:00] where you get your eyes dilated and you, you know, you're, we're doing everything.
Testing the pressure in my eyes. There was this, I can't remember what it is, but something where the, like the whites of your eyes, they die yellow and. Get like that yellow ring under your eye. All the things that I had never done before, and
Matthew Reeves: and say.
Eavan: yeah,
Matthew Reeves: remarkable it is that you got that the next morning
Eavan: I know.
Matthew Reeves: with a specialist
Eavan: I know.
Matthew Reeves: That's, in my experience, unheard of. That must have also been of startling too. Like to go from, I'm
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: to, oh, we're gonna get you into a specialist in a matter of hours.
That must have been jarring.
Eavan: Yeah, it was definitely was, and I remember being more scared, I think, at that point, or more worried that it could be something else. Um, I actually, this is so funny. Like I, I, I never s. Say this on podcast or talk about this, but I remember saying to my mom that morning like, oh, it's probably fine. Maybe it's just [00:09:00] macular degeneration.
And like it's not a big deal. And I didn't like, now I think back, like I didn't even know what that meant. I just had heard of it and like probably Googled it and thought, you know, no big deal. It's macular degeneration. Everyone under the sun has this. And so it's interesting 'cause Stargardt's is kind of a form.
It is a form of macular degeneration. But you know, I didn't understand it seriously.
Matthew Reeves: at all. What was in your head in that moment?
Eavan: No, sir. So I, it, it was remarkable that I got to see an ophthalmologist the next day. However, they do not have the equipment in the state of Maine to officially diagnose you with Stargardt disease. Um, so they could diagnose me with an umbrella term that sort of captures everything that has to do with your cones, like under the sun.
So what I did the, at the end of the day, what I did come away with is the ophthalmologist sat me down and my mom. She said, you know, you have something that we think is called Stargardt disease, but we can only really diagnose you with cone dystrophy here. It's a form of cone dystrophy. [00:10:00] You need to go to Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston to be officially diagnosed there.
So this is when the waiting period came in to see an ophthalmologist down there. But you know, she said, all we do know is that you have something that's causing blindness over time and there's no treatment, there's no cure. Have a great day. And I just remember. Like, I think back to that time now, and it still makes me so emotional because it's, it's like we were talking about this before, Matthew.
Everyone has this experience with an ophthalmologist. It's like the bedside manner is just not present. Um, no matter if you're seven or you're 70, being diagnosed with vision loss is life changing and it's really hard and it's hard to grasp and it, it's going to affect you forever. The level of how it affects you is up to you, but at that moment you don't know that.
And so hearing those words and you know, being 21 years old, senior in college, I had [00:11:00] so much other things I was thinking about and wanted to focus on. I didn't so many other things I was thinking about. I didn't really know how to react. And I remember my mom being really upset. She clearly understood the whole situation a little bit more than I did.
Um. And I remember leaving and it's kind of a blur and I wonder if other people who have gone through this, and I wonder if you feel this way as well. Like my diagnosis. I remember bits and pieces, but it is sort of a blur that whole time in my life and the, the months have followed, um. But yeah, that's sort of my story.
I actually ended up, I was lucky enough to have a family member that works at Mass Eye Ear. She still does. And she went down to the third floor, um, in retina, at Mass Eye Ear, and asked, you know, begged, um, the woman behind the reception desk who was amazing. I loved her, her name was Lori. Um, it to let her cousin get in or try and get her cousin an appointment.
And I was lucky [00:12:00] enough to get in a month later. So. My cone dystrophy diagnosis came on December 13th, and then I was officially diagnosed down at Mass Eye Ear where I work now. Side note, um, when I was at, on January 15th, 2020, so two months prior to the pandemic really hitting and things kind of shutting down and
Matthew Reeves: Wow.
Eavan: months prior to my college graduation.
So
Matthew Reeves: What a, what a tumultuous in some ways
Eavan: isn't it tumultuous for everyone?
Matthew Reeves: But, but, but you also had your graduation in there. It's just a sign when you're expecting to begin your adult life.
Eavan: Right,
Matthew Reeves: to begin that full level of, that new phase of independence and, and being coming into yourself, and
Eavan: right.
Matthew Reeves: must have hit like a ton of bricks.
Eavan: Yeah, it definitely did. And like I said, like I don't think I understood the brevity of it all when I was 21 and. It took time to [00:13:00] process, but it definitely was, it's like a being hit with a ton of bricks for sure.
Matthew Reeves: Can we rewind for a second? You
Eavan: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: that you felt like your, your mother was with you, and it was like she absorbed it at a different level. Uh, what was that like for you to see her getting more upset than you even knew you should be getting? Right? Like, what, what was that experience like?
Because I think that's a common thing.
Eavan: Um, it was incredibly emotional. I remember feeling like not guilty, but like bad for my mom in that moment because. I was like, it's happening to me and now that now because it's happening to me, you know, we're gonna go on this whole journey together for the rest of my life dealing with this. But I think she also obviously felt guilty because she and my dad were the ones carrying the gene and they didn't know.
So it was kind of like a mutual like immediate guilt [00:14:00] feeling and also just very heavy emotionally, and I think. I think my mom's been alive longer than I have, and she understood more and was at a place in her life where she might have been able to grasp more what this meant for me more than I did. Um, I think we both didn't know how things were gonna go.
You know, I, she didn't, the ophthalmologist can't really tell you how it's gonna progress. I mean, it's, it progresses differently for everyone and we know that now, but. I think that was a really, um, hard thing to think about for her and for myself. But yeah, sharing that moment with her, like I've asked her now, uh, being 27, and this was five years ago now.
I asked her now what she was thinking in that moment, and she thinks that she kind of feels like it's all a blur too. Um, and she just remembers being really scared, which is of course natural.
Matthew Reeves: [00:15:00] Yeah.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: unknown. Fear of loss. Fear of,
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: Yeah.
Eavan: much. Yeah. Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: then, uh, pandemic hits and
Eavan: Yes.
Matthew Reeves: to figure out how to adapt to this and that, and a new phase of life all at the same time. What, how, did you navigate that?
Eavan: I navigated it to the best of my ability. I remember going back to school and. Trying to figure out how to tell people that this was happening because like I said, it was brand new to me. I'd never heard of Stargardt Disease or macular. I mean, I'd clearly heard of macular degeneration 'cause I was throwing that term around like it was no big deal.
But I'd never, you know, I didn't know blindness to this degree. I, I, like we were saying, I thought blindness was, you have a cane, you have a seeing eye dog, you wear dark glasses and that's that. Um. And it's interesting because my friends noticed it, so noticed my vision loss and my eyesight so much when I was at school, [00:16:00] probably even more so than I did, honestly.
You know, they would say, Evan, you're looking above me. Why are you looking above me? And of course I was looking above them because my peripheral vision is trying to make up for the lack of central vision. And they would say, Evan, you just called that person by the wrong name. Or Evan, that's not so and so, you know, or, um, so I think.
When I told them there was some like guilt and sense of clarity at the same time. And
Matthew Reeves: Guilt for, tell me more. I, I'm curious about the guilt. What was that about?
Eavan: the guilt was, I think they, I mean they had been making jokes about me being, being blind, like my entire four years of college. So that's where I meant guilt. Like, you know, they didn't know that this could have been
Matthew Reeves: something
Eavan: from being a yes.
Matthew Reeves: oh, this is a very real thing.
Eavan: Yeah, exactly. Um, but. You know, everyone listened and tried to understand and before I could even, you know, get comfortable with telling more people and, and I don't know, [00:17:00] ease into like, getting all my textbooks on audio or anything like that.
You know, I went to the accessibility office once or twice and I planned on going into, I graduated the pandemic hit, so, you know, we all left school like. Bees leaving from a hive. I don't even know if that's a saying, but like we left as fast as we could and it was a really scary time. And I remember looking back now, I, it was a blessing in disguise because I think I did not care about school anymore.
My academics were plummeting to be honest. And socially I felt. Uncomfortable and I didn't know how to talk about it with people. I didn't know how to process it myself. I didn't have time for therapy. You know, college is an interesting time to go through this. It's your priorities are just all over the place, and so the pandemic coming, although it was a really scary time for the world, ended up being somewhat of a blessing for me because I was able to go home and process it with my family and,
Matthew Reeves: It sounds like [00:18:00] it was a, was a pause button, not one you pushed, but you got, it gave you a pause
Eavan: yeah.
Matthew Reeves: to catch up a little bit. Um, because Yeah, 'cause being. In the midst of college, especially towards the end of college when this was happening. You're right that that is a time of just great change and there's much going on and, and the social is aspects of things are so intense and figuring out how to communicate
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: disability is. That's a long, often a very slow process, a very involved and complicated process, and you're in the midst of probably one of the most intense social structures that our society has to offer.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: so you're trying to fi figure that out, uh, in real time before you even get it to figure it out for yourself.
So I can understand why, you know, a cosmic pause button
Eavan: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: helpful.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: would be. Yeah.
Eavan: Yeah. Cosmic pause button. I love that. I'm gonna steal that. Yeah, no, it was, it was, and I think. [00:19:00] You know, I also, when I went home at that time, I, everyone was home, right? So there was no, like, like I had my sisters and we were able to talk about what this meant for me and whether they should go through genetic testing.
And I was able to process it with my parents and tell my uncles and aunts who happened to all be in the same state. Um, and it is also when I, I found out how much I loved running, and that changed the trajectory of my life and my story. And my experience with vision loss. So there were a lot of silver linings that came out of the pandemic other than the, you know, horrible things that it did to our world.
And, um, I, and the sickness that people got and all those things, you know, I think people were able to find little silver linings and being home with our families and not having to be out all the time and be social and be in the world to kind of just like take a break and it was the right. [00:20:00] Thing for me at the time.
For sure. Now that looking back,
Matthew Reeves: What, what were those conversations with your family like? Uh, was that. What was the tone of it? And may, maybe it was a bunch of different tones at different times, but how did that, how did that serve you, having that opportunity to spend time with your family?
Eavan: The conversations with my family were very, I, so after being diagnosed, I didn't do much research on my own. You know, I, they told me that I had star disease, I understood what that was. Um, but I really didn't like googling anything. I, I kind of, I stayed away from that. I still do, honestly, um, if people find things interesting.
The realm of clinical trials and you know, new things coming out, especially now with AI and all these like amazing things that clinician scientists and researchers are working on. I love when people bring that to me and I will [00:21:00] definitely read it and engage and be interested, but now, and especially at that time, I just didn't want to.
Do that. I really, I understood that it was happening to me. There was no current treatment and that maybe one day I'll be eligible for a clinical trial and that's all I needed to know. And so I think the conversations with my family were very, they ranged from things my sisters would find online about it that they wanted to share with me, or books that people with Stargardt disease had written, they wanted to share with me support groups.
They had found things like that, resources, it was very like resource heavy conversations. And. The conversations with my parents were a little bit more understanding their genetic makeup and how this happened, and then also how we're gonna handle it as a family and what I can do for myself and my options with therapy and mental health.
Um, coming above everything because it is of the utmost importance, especially when you're dealing with a [00:22:00] incurable. Um. Disease. So they were very like, you know, they ranged in, in, I don't know, they, it depended on who I was talking to, what the conversations were about, but just kind of processing. It was all processing, you know, figuring out what was gonna be best for us.
Matthew Reeves: I'm, I'm intrigued by, um, your take on your own research
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: uh, because I hear. From people a lot, it's pretty common to go in the opposite direction and really dive into the research and really dive into all the clinical trials and even go beyond mainstream science and into, uh, you know, people who are offering cures that aren't backed up by, you know, the peer review process. a lot of people really find a lot of comfort in, in that. And you're saying you went in the opposite direction. I'm curious, what was it about the research that. It felt like it was [00:23:00] not, uh, helpful to you.
Eavan: That's a good question. This is something I don't talk about that often, and I will say in 2020 and for the first two to three years of my, you know, being diagnosed and going through this, I really was not interested in reading anything. And I'll explain why, but I will say now. Especially because I work in at a hospital that does research for blinding diseases, um, and is, and is on the cusp of curing so many of these things and doing such important research.
I will say my, my thoughts around it have changed and I do pay more attention to what's going on because of my work and because of my personal life. Um, you know, obviously it touches me personally and professionally, but I, and, and I engage more in, you know, webinars that. Of things that are happening in the stargardt space, in the RP space, in different countries and in the us And so it definitely has changed, but I think in the beginning, the reasoning behind that is that I, [00:24:00] I just, I don't know.
I, I, I think being visually impaired has completely changed my life and that it makes me who I am. You know, I, I have a completely unique, literally and figuratively perspective on the world now because. Of this, and I, I, I think if there's a cure one day or there's something that will stop it, I'd be interested in possibly looking at it.
But I'm not really, I'm not, you know, I don't feel that I need to, I, and it's interesting like saying that because I, I want, I know so many people have different views on this that have vision loss and some of my visually impaired friends are really interested in finding a cure and some just. Are not interested at all.
You know, it's, this is who they are and it's made them who they are. And I think I fall somewhere in the middle. Um, which is probably why I'm not super interested in researching any type of alternative medicine or any type of anything. I just, I am who I am and I'm fine with that. [00:25:00] And I trust my physician to tell me when there's something that I could be eligible for.
And maybe I'll look into it and. That will change my life. And, and if it does stop my vision from progressing, that's great. I'll still be visually impaired, but it'll stop my vision and that's wonderful. I just, I don't, I don't bank on it. I don't want to, to base my life banking on it. I'm happy the way I am.
Matthew Reeves: I wonder if there was some part of you early on in the process
Eavan: I.
Matthew Reeves: had, uh, to, to, to use the, the challenge, the, the word vision here, but had the foresight, I guess is a better word to, to imagine how this experience would strengthen you and, and help you define yourself into something that you're really proud of. so. There wasn't a need to change it, there wasn't a need to, to scramble to try and find the hidden cure that nobody is [00:26:00] up.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: was some small part of you that kind of, kind of knew that maybe there was some strength that could come from the experience.
Eavan: I think so. You know, I think it was a mix of things. I think in the beginning I, I didn't wanna handle a lot of it. I was really down for about a year and depressed. I didn't wanna focus on it. And then that turned into, so I didn't research anything and then that turned into. Okay, let's find some strength here.
Let's build ourselves back up. This is gonna, this makes you who you are. You're, you know, you're going to, to excel with or without this and you have it, so let's excel. And I think, yeah, it morphed into just that. And, you know, it's changed my life for the better. So.
Matthew Reeves: Did that ladder out of the depressive season, did that happen organically or was there some intentionality or was, did anybody else offer something to help you get out of that depression? Like what was that journey about?
Eavan: That was, [00:27:00]
Eavan O'Neill: I think there were a multitude of things like steps to a ladder that helped me get out of that mindset and that, that dark place, for the lack of a better phrase. Um, but I do think that. One of the main things that helped is sharing my story, talking about it with friends, family, a therapist, a community, other visually impaired people.
It changed my life. I, I think you just gain so much confidence or you can gain a lot of confidence through sharing your story.
Eavan: Like you creating this podcast and having people like me on, like us just talking about the experiences we've shared through being visually impaired. I leave feeling lighter after talking to you.
You know? And I think I realized that once I started talking about it and I was, I followed that path of, the more I talk about it and the more that I share my experiences with people who understand on a different level, the lighter, happier, [00:28:00] more connected to myself and to others, I feel so. I think it was a ladder of getting outta that dark place.
It's also mixed in with the running and like running marathons and half marathons. I felt this sense of control back in my body that I really had been lacking since my diagnosis. You know? 'cause when you're diagnosed with something that when there's no, that has no treatment or cure, there's this immense lack of control and finding that thing that makes you feel whole again in your body and feel, you know, some sense of.
Control back is, is, um, so important. So it was kind of a multitude of things, but I would say sharing my story changed. Everything
Matthew Reeves: I'm so glad you found the rungs on the ladder that you needed in that moment.
Eavan: takes time. But I eventually did.
Matthew Reeves: take time.
Eavan: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: time. Um, and, and those of us who. Have those rungs available to us. Uh, we're incredibly grateful for it, and we know that that's not everybody's experience,
Eavan: no, of course not.
Matthew Reeves: it [00:29:00] even harder.
Eavan: Yeah, absolutely.
Matthew Reeves: to that end, I think that might be a good segue.
You tell me if into, uh, what you are offering to the community these days and where, where, how you took that, that experience of sharing your story and how beneficial you found it for yourself.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: you've created something and I'd love to hear about that.
Eavan: Yeah. So I, like I said, when I started sharing my story, I really felt like a weight off my chest and. I noticed an even heavier weight off my chest when I shared it with people who happened to be going through the same thing or something similar. So when I was able to connect with people who had Stargardt disease or RP or any type of of degenerative vision loss, I.
Just like they just understood on a different level, you know? And that's nothing against my loved ones who listen and learn every day. And my parents and [00:30:00] sighted supporters as I like to call them, you know, I think they, they really, they're great listeners and they try their best to understand. I just think that there's another level of understanding when you talk about it with someone that is also going through it.
Um, so realizing that feeling that I had and the importance of. Of those conversations, I sort of toyed with the idea of starting a little support group to talk to people because I knew how much it would help me, um, selfishly, and I wanted that feeling to be felt by others who were going through this as well.
And I thought that it, maybe it would help them as well. So I was at my year appointment at Mass Eye and Ear, and there's a eye chart there. And the eye chart. Instead of having a giant e there's like an eye chart in the waiting room. So it's not a real eye chart in the, um, the room where you're examined.
It's [00:31:00] in the waiting room and it, instead of an i, a giant E, it's a giant B and it says, or a giant a, excuse me. And it always, it says, always look on the bright side. And it's always been there. It still is there. I go down and see it sometimes when I'm at work and my dad said that would be a great, you know, name for a support group.
So shout out to him 'cause I stole the name and I started Brightside and I reached out to probably seven-ish people that I'd connected with online throughout the past four years of, of having Stargardt disease or being diagnosed. Having it and asked if they'd be interested in joining a support group run by me, who's not a licensed clinician whatsoever, but has some experience.
Um. With, or my parent. My dad is a social worker and my mom works at a nonprofit for, for youth in Maine. So there is some, they have some experience running group sessions and helped me with the process of learning how to facilitate something like this. And so anyways, I did my first meeting in [00:32:00] February of 2024 with about seven or 10 people and it's now been, um, my.
It's turned into the Brightside community. It's a nonprofit in the making and it's been running for about two years now, and there's about 150 members now, and we meet twice a month over Zoom. Sundays in the middle of the month and Mondays at the end of the month. And I facilitate them and it's become my lifeline.
Matthew Reeves: Congratulations on building something
Eavan: Thank you. Likewise. Likewise. Built this amazing. So likewise.
Matthew Reeves: I think, I think, uh, when we go through difficult things, and this podcast is about vision loss, that particular difficult thing, but I think it's so easy, um, to get stuck. You know,
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: and building something and creating something proves that we can still impact the world and we
Eavan: Yeah. Absolutely. [00:33:00] Absolutely. And this process has been like, I know I'm. I am speaking very positively about my journey, but it hasn't been all sunshine and roses. It's been lots of ups and downs, and I always like to say to anyone who's visually impaired that's listening to this. I love my Brightside community, and it has changed my life for the better.
And if you're listening, I hope you join. It's a great space, and I hope you leave feeling lighter if you do. But I still have ups and downs every day, and I still wish this wasn't happening certain days. And I, you know, I've accepted it, but I'm still on a journey with it. And that's, you know, that's a lifelong, lifelong thing.
So I always just do like to say that it's not all sunshine and roses. It's hard. It's really hard. And that's why you do need community to help fill in those cracks.
Matthew Reeves: Absolutely. We, we use the word acceptance and sometimes I think it's, we, we use it as if it's the end point of the grieving
Eavan: Right.
Matthew Reeves: it's part of the grieving process.
Eavan: Yes.
Matthew Reeves: and accepting at the same time. It's, it's a component of grief.[00:34:00]
Eavan: Yeah, that's a really good point. Exactly.
Matthew Reeves: what, what has it like for you? I guess I'll, I'll try and ask this in, in two different ways.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: What has it been like as a facilitator of a support group in terms of the impact on the group, but also what has it been like for you as a facilitator of a support group and its impact on you?
Eavan: That's a really good question. Um, well, I love. I love leading the group. I really do. I, I, at this point, I was very nervous in the beginning and probably for the first year, but at this point I feel comfortable and, um, you know, I've gotten to know the members quite, quite a bit and I, I love that, especially 'cause we did our first in-person retreat in October, which is wonderful.
Matthew Reeves: Great.
Eavan: And, you know, I, I will say sometimes [00:35:00] it's hard to. Lead a group because sometimes you just wanna listen and be quiet. And I think as the facilitator, I, I tend to jump in and fill in the cracks. You know, I let the awkward silence sit. I do quite a bit, but, um, I don't know. It's a, that's a good question. I, I find so much joy and fulfillment in it, but sometimes I do wish that I could go to a meeting and just not say anything if I'm being honest, you know, like, or just, you know, cry my eyes out, but I wanna be strong for these people.
Um, so I think, you know, there's ups and downs with it and, and pros and cons, but I wouldn't change anything about it. And I love doing it. And I hope, like I truly. Even if I don't come to a meeting and cry or laugh or do anything and I just facilitate and do my best, I truly leave feeling better every time.
And I think that that's [00:36:00] community in general. If I go to a run club, I leave feeling better. If I go to a cooking class with others, I leave feeling better. You know, I think that's, sharing community just is the best thing ever. But um, yeah, it's. I, it's the, it's the, I love it. It's the best thing in my life.
Matthew Reeves: other day I, I saw online somebody was talking about, they were encouraging their audience something.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: A zoomba class, any a reading club, book club, zoom, join something that's real,
Eavan: Oh my God,
Matthew Reeves: um, in this, in this. we're living through, there is maybe no greater antidote for,
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: despair that a lot of people are feeling, uh, than to just be connected in flesh and blood,
Eavan: Oh my gosh.
Matthew Reeves: human beings.
So I totally understand what you're saying and, and I think
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: it speaks to, uh, I think another congratulations that, that, that [00:37:00] the group was able to have enough momentum to do an in-person retreat that's not easy to pull off. Uh, that.
Eavan: No.
Matthew Reeves: There's logistics and money and cha I, I, I'm aware of that. So, so that's, that's a big thumbs up.
That's, that's
Eavan: Thank you. Thanks. It was really fun and I couldn't have done it without my parents and my boyfriend and my friends. They were really helpful, so it was great.
Matthew Reeves: What what is a and and I'll, I'll, if I may be so bold, I
Eavan: Yeah,
Matthew Reeves: comment on, uh, one, one point you made about the crying. I think there's nothing stronger than crying.
Eavan: yeah. Agreed.
Matthew Reeves: so if you want to cry, cry. Uh, I
Eavan: I cry too much.
Matthew Reeves: I think if we apologize, I like to say this to my clients. If we apologize for crying, we have to apologize for laughing.
Eavan: It's true.
Matthew Reeves: just an, it
Eavan: good point.
Matthew Reeves: it's just an expression of emotion and it's stigmatized in our society, and I don't think that serves us well. I've gotten slowly, I'm still getting more comfortable with crying myself. Uh, I, because [00:38:00] I, I grew up. Being very timid about crying, uh, and very, very, uh, and I, and I still, there's part of me that's still very uncomfortable with it, but I'm trying to remind myself that that's part of me and it's part of all of us.
It's very human.
Eavan: Yep.
Matthew Reeves: unique, it's uniquely human.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: and so why not embrace it? Uh,
Eavan: Right.
Matthew Reeves: because somebody tells us we should be ashamed of crying doesn't mean we should be ashamed of crying,
Eavan: No, and you shouldn't ever, no.
Matthew Reeves: Yeah.
Eavan: I think too with this, it's like you're carrying so much every day. You know, and you understand this, Matthew, you, you wake up and look in the mirror and you can't see yourself and you go to work and look on a computer and you can't see it. You go take the subway to get a snack or a coffee and you can't read the signs.
Like every day we go through this and we are adapting and, and it's all, there's not a single part of our day that doesn't affect us with our vision usually. And so we're carrying that all day. It's like, why? Why? How could we not cry sometimes and just like [00:39:00] let that go? You know? You have to let that go in some way.
You have to release your emotions. And I'm a very emotional person. I grew up in a very emotionally open household, and so I cry a lot, but I do feel like a physical release, and that's what I think is so important. It's like, this is really hard and you know, we're doing it. We're rock stars, but you gotta.
Let it go sometimes and just cry it out,
Matthew Reeves: that pressure of every. Decision point in our day becoming a logistical challenge, which
Eavan: right?
Matthew Reeves: about in a previous episode, uh, it that becomes a pressure cooker
Eavan: Yeah,
Matthew Reeves: of, I mean, I, the metaphor I like to use a lot is I, is it often feels like we're playing advanced chess
Eavan: yeah.
Matthew Reeves: moment of every day.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: is exhausting, it only makes sense that sometimes we need a pressure release valve
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: Sometimes that's a conversation, sometimes that's a, a ball session. [00:40:00] Sometimes it's a romantic comedy, sometimes it's a good book.
Eavan: Yep.
Matthew Reeves: it could be, could be anything. Whatever suits, whatever suits, any given person.
Eavan: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Matthew Reeves: a bout of crying. Yeah.
Eavan: Yes, it does.
Matthew Reeves: what is a, uh, a typical Brightside session? Like what, what can people, if people are interested in. In joining up or trying the community, what, what might they, they expect?
Eavan: Um, that's a great question. So you get on the meeting and usually I let. One to two minutes for everyone to join and people will trickle in throughout the meeting. But in the beginning I do a brief intro on myself and Brightside and why I started the group, you know, very quick. And then we will go through, um, introductions.
So. When the group's larger and smaller, I try to keep the introductions short and sweet. So your name, where you're calling in from, what type of vision loss you have, anything else you wanna share with the group, [00:41:00] really. And then what I'll do is I'll call on everyone. So I have my mega zoom on and I'll call on who's next that people don't have to, you know, worry about like where they are on the screen or whatever.
They can just join and, and be. Um, I also have a disclaimer that if you're here to just listen tonight and you don't feel like chatting, just shoot me a side message and I won't call on you and you can just, you know, stay camera off if you want, or camera on and not, um, participate. That's totally fine. I also always do a little disclaimer like, this, me this meeting and this group is here for you and it is what you make of it.
So, you know, don't feel like upset or, or guilty if you come to one meeting and then don't wanna come again. Like it's really, this is your space. And then I, after introductions, briefly do a, um, overview of the group norms and ground rules, which are two things, confidentiality and the golden rules. So you know, what's said in the group, stays in the group.
I love when you share that you're a part of Brightside and I would love for you to invite any of your visually impaired friends to the group to try it out. But what anyone shares in [00:42:00] this group is not to be shared outside of the group. It's, it's a sacred space and it's a safe space for us. And then. The golden Rule, which I would never, you know, allow an individual to be in the group that wouldn't follow the Golden Rule.
And we all, um, are under this unique umbrella of going through vision loss. So it's, it's very clear that everyone is treating everyone the way they wanna be treated. But usually I, I say that as well and then I let the awkward silence sit and I say, you know, guys, I'm gonna have awkward silence sit. You can, we can chat about what you, we wanna chat about tonight.
If you want to bring something to the group, please do. And sometimes I'll sit, be sitting there for like. Two minutes and no one will speak. And I'll still let it, and people will eventually speak. And then if people just really don't want to, I'll have like a prompt sometimes. But normally within the first 10 seconds, someone's jumping in with something they wanna ask the group or a question.
Um, it just depends on who's who's there. And then we'll chat for, you know, however long until 9:00 PM So it's sometimes it's like 30 minutes, sometimes it goes to nine 15, it's like 45 minutes. [00:43:00] Um, and the conversation. Flows pretty seamlessly. I've found. Um, you know, whether we're touching on one specific issue that someone's having at work and then we talk about dating or families or holidays, um, yeah, it just, it flows.
So, and then we'll wrap up the meetings by, we always end in a positive note, so I'll, I'll prompt the group to end and I'll say, you know, like we always do, we're gonna end on a positive note, so just share something good. Or if you want to, you can come off mute and share something good that happened to you in the past week, month, or something good that is coming down the line.
Doesn't have to be vision loss related, just anything in your life that you wanna share with the group. And then we all say goodbye.
Matthew Reeves: Something to celebrate. Yeah.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: What, what have you. That sounds like a, a, a great group. And I, I, I love the awkward silence.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: because, and I love the, I
Eavan: Right.
Matthew Reeves: you are, uh, calling it what it is and 'cause that takes some of the awkwardness away.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: feeling [00:44:00] it. You're not alone. just acknowledge it.
Eavan: Yes, exactly.
Matthew Reeves: it makes space for whoever has something pressing on their heart that
Eavan: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: to have a space for. You're making it. And I think
Eavan: Yeah. Thank you.
Matthew Reeves: What, what kind of, what dynamics have you seen growing in the group or shifting in the group over time? Or maybe what feedback have you gotten terms of the impact of the
Eavan: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: from participants?
Eavan: I've gotten lots of different feedback. Um, I'm open to all like constructive criticism, everything. Like obviously, you know, I started this just because I wanted to have something like it for myself. And so it's really like, it's a grassroots like thing in the making. So I love feedback and you know, I actually, I, I've gotten all sorts of feedback and things I've noticed are that.
Um, people love the in-person stuff, so, and that's of course, it's like, like [00:45:00] you said, like going to anything in-person, community based is so important right now, and people love that. So I, I tried to cater to that with the retreat and I'm gonna try and do more of that in the future. Um, I got the feedback that people want more opportunity to chat at different times because 8:00 PM Eastern time can be difficult for some people, so that's why we added the Sunday session.
So that was actually not a me idea. That was one of my group members' ideas to start a Sunday meeting at 3:00 PM So people in other countries and different time zones can join. Um, I've gotten the feedback that the group is too positive and that we're laughing too much about like, being blind and like that, you know, sometimes it needs to be taken more seriously.
I've gotten that feedback, so I take that into consideration. Um, I have noticed a lot of them have become friends outside of the group, which is my favorite thing.
Matthew Reeves: hearing that.
Eavan: I know it's the best. Um, so like a few, two of my group members joined, [00:46:00] uh, the meeting a couple meetings ago and they had met up as to go out for a drink or as friends for dinner.
Two guys, and just warmed my heart. And a couple people in New York City have gotten together. Um, the Boston crew gets together a lot, but when they make the extra effort to, you know. Go outside of the group and, and meet up in person. I feel like I'm making an impact, um, and that I've created something that has broadened people together, which is my goal from the very beginning.
So that's my favorite feedback to get.
Matthew Reeves: Yeah, I, I think if I were in your shoes it would be mine too.
Eavan: Yeah. Right.
Matthew Reeves: it's, that's absolutely spectacular to hear. 'cause I think one of, I think. One of the things you were trying to address is the same thing I'm trying to address with this podcast, and that is that this community is very decentralized and quite small.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: and there are some mechanisms like Eye and Ear or you know, Emory Eye Center or some like, there might be mechanisms [00:47:00] that might cluster people together to where they meet one
Eavan: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: a lot of those mechanisms have healthcare privacy. Re right, you know, concerns in hipaa and so they can't share, they can't be much of a, a connector.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: and so we left with this community that, you know, Facebook is one thing, Reddit's one thing, like there, there are some digital ways to do this, but that is not quite the same as. Even something like what you and I are doing right now are sitting, you know, face-to-face, even digitally,
Eavan: Right.
Matthew Reeves: those, those me, those mechanisms don't serve that purpose.
And you're taking it even step further with the in-person retreat. a way to communicate to this entire community is just really challenging. Uh, and so I, I think both of us saw that need in our, in our own way trying to address that.
Eavan: Yeah,
Matthew Reeves: I think is just wonderful.
Eavan: absolutely.
Matthew Reeves: So if people want to, well, you mentioned you did touch on, one thing I wanted to ask about this [00:48:00] is, um, I wanna ask who is the right person to join?
Uh, is this people who are affected or loved? Ones? Like what's the scope of, of the membership?
Eavan: That is a great question, Matthew. Thank you for asking. So it's anyone experiencing vision loss of any kind? 18 plus. Um, we want to add a group. I want to add a group for loved ones and cited supporters. A lot of group members in Brightside have, um, shown interest in having their spouses, partners, parents, so on and so forth, join a meeting and listen to our conversation.
And I think, well, I think that's a great idea. I do think that they should also have a separate space. Um. So I'm toying with, you know, the idea of adding something like that probably next year, but I'll keep everyone updated on that. But for now, it's anyone experiencing vision loss of any kind at all That is 18 and over
Matthew Reeves: Okay. Anywhere in the world.
Eavan: anywhere in the world.
We have people from the [00:49:00] UK and we have people from the Middle East. So
Matthew Reeves: wow. That's
Eavan: yeah, the time zones are difficult, but they can still be a part of the group. Um, you know, and, and go to the, the group chat, which we use Slack for everything. So,
Matthew Reeves: Okay,
Eavan: yeah,
Matthew Reeves: Now does that. Does that chat exist outside of the meetings or is it just a live during the meetings.
Eavan: no, it's outside of the meeting. So
Matthew Reeves: Okay.
Eavan: it's, it's in Slack and there's a general channel where I post like updates and stuff. There's a meeting announcements channel, and then there's tons of other channels like, you know, venting channel, fashion channel, video games, channel like whatever you wanna talk about.
Anytime people can chat 24 7.
Matthew Reeves: That's super cool.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: And is there any cost to join?
Eavan: No, no.
Matthew Reeves: free and no
Eavan: Yes.
Matthew Reeves: already mentioned that like if it's
Eavan: Yeah. No commitment.
Matthew Reeves: away. Yeah.
Eavan: Yeah. If it's not for you, you walk away. You can stay in the group chat so that you have like resources or people to ask questions to if something comes up. It doesn't have to be [00:50:00] your, you know, you don't have to come to the meetings. You don't have to feel like you need to join.
It's just, it's there for you if you want, if you need it.
Matthew Reeves: That's great. And if people are interested in joining, what's the avenue to do that? How do they, how do they connect?
Eavan: Yeah, so you can join through, there's a multitude of ways, but we have an Instagram page and a TikTok page, um, and a website. So you can join really any of those ways. Um, the link to join is in the Instagram bio in our TikTok bio, and at the bottom of our website and our website's. Just brightside community.com.
Matthew Reeves: Okay. And I'll put the, uh, the link to the website in the show notes so
Eavan: Great, thank you.
Matthew Reeves: easily. Uh, and what's, what is the handle for the Instagram and the TikTok?
Eavan: For the Instagram, it's at Brightside community and for the TikTok, I think it's at Brightside Group. Mm-hmm.
Matthew Reeves: I, we'll, we'll get those confirmed and I'll put those in the show notes as well.
Eavan: Awesome. And my personal Instagram also is public and it has the link to join as well. So if you and my personal TikTok, so if you find me [00:51:00] before you find Brightside, you can join through there as well.
Matthew Reeves: Okay, great. Well, um, before we wrap up, I always like to make space if there's anything else that, that, Wendy, we haven't touched on or that's meaningful to you, that you may want to share with this community. Any, any final thoughts? Not to put pressure on you.
Eavan: No, I, I have loved our conversation so much, Matthew. Thank you for having me. I just would say, you know.
It's a constant up and down with this, and I think it's okay to feel all the feelings and it's okay if you feel really down sometimes and other days you feel like you can handle anything and you can tackle the world and this and this too. I would just say, you know, people understand people are going through this too.
You're not alone and it's gonna be okay and you're still gonna be able to do whatever you set your mind to no matter what.[00:52:00]
Matthew Reeves: Love that positivity
Eavan: Yeah,
Matthew Reeves: any, the really honest approach that it's not always gonna feel positive.
Eavan: no,
Matthew Reeves: hard thing to do, uh, but that doesn't mean you can't handle it.
Eavan: exactly that. You synopsize what I wanted to say in one sentence. So ba listen to Matthew, not me.
Matthew Reeves: No, no, I think, I think listeners to this podcast will get plenty of me. So, so I'm,
Eavan: That's fair.
Matthew Reeves: that's why we need other people to, to come on.
Eavan: Yeah.
Matthew Reeves: thank you for being here and contributing and offering yourself to the community, uh, so selflessly, I'm really grateful, uh, not just for the podcast, but for what you're doing with Brightside. it's exciting and I, I know I am intrigued and I will check it out myself for sure.
Eavan: Well, happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me. And Likewise, same to you. Of course.
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OUTRO
Matthew Reeves: Thanks for joining us for this episode of Insight Out. You are the reason this podcast exists [00:53:00] and we'd love to hear from you. You can leave us a voice message at speakpipe.com/insightoutpod. That's speakpipe.com/insightoutpod. There, you can share your thoughts about today's conversation, suggest a topic for a future episode, or tell us about your experience living with vision loss. Again, that's speakpipe.com/insightoutpod.
Insight Out is produced by Integral Mental Health Services, my private practice that offers psychotherapy for adults in Georgia and disability adjustment and chronic illness counseling nationwide. Visit us at integralmhs.com and you can visit insightoutpod.com to catch up on all the episodes and to find links for subscribing in all the major podcast apps. A video version of this [00:54:00] podcast is available on YouTube. Search for the channel, using the handle @inSightOutPod. You can also find us on social media using that same handle. I hope you'll join us for the next episode of inSight Out. Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app to stay connected. Thanks again for listening.