Severe vision loss is a reality for people with age-related
macular degeneration (AMD), a disease of the retina that affects
more than 9.1 million people in the United States. What is it
like to have AMD? The disease robs people of their central
vision and leaves only what they can see in their peripheral
vision, making it incredibly difficult to use vision for even
the simplest activities. AMD’s most advanced form – end-stage
AMD – is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and legal
blindness in people age 60 and older. For retired entrepreneur,
Willis “James” Hindman, 77, of Westminster, Md., the losses he
faced from end-stage AMD were both physical and emotional.
Hindman’s passions are his family, friends and the horses that
he raises on his farm. AMD destroyed his vision to the point
where he couldn't see people’s faces or watch his race horses
cross the finish line. He felt he was a prisoner of his own
limitations and quickly became depressed. Hindman isn’t alone;
as the baby boomer population con