Blind mom uses technology to see daughter’s wedding
Joy Hoke choked back tears watching her husband escort their daughter down the aisle Saturday in Port Trevorton, Pennsylvania.
Her tears of happiness weren’t just for her daughter getting married, but also because Hoke could clearly see her daughter Lauren dressed in a strapless wedding gown on her father’s arm.
“Oh my gosh, I feel so blessed,” said the legally blind Hoke on Monday morning about experiencing the wedding day with clear vision provided by high-tech eyewear purchased from the Ontario firm, eSight. “Without the glasses, they would have looked like blobs walking down the aisle toward me.”
Following the rapid loss of her eyesight two years ago, Hoke was overcome with sadness at the thought of not being able to see her only daughter in her wedding gown.
Informed about the $15,000 high-tech glasses that improve vision for some with impaired sight, Hoke turned to an online fundraising site last fall and explained her primary reason for wanting the pricey eyewear.
It took six days to raise the money.
“I think my story touched people’s hearts, especially moms who take (their vision) for granted,” she said, attributing her appeal for vision at her daughter’s wedding to the rapid response of donations.
Hoke wore the bulky glasses at the wedding ceremony and during Lauren’s first dances with her new husband and her father, Dave, but set them aside for the rest of the reception.
Once again thanking the donors who made it possible for her to truly see her daughter and son-in-law on their special day, Hoke had a message for others in despair.
“I want people to know not to give up hope when you think something will never happen,” she said.
Moore is a reporter at The (Sunbury, Pennsylvania) Daily Item.