While a painful, year-long recovery from eye surgery would depress many people, it only gave Brenda Richardson more time to plot new ways to help others.

Over the years Mrs. Richardson, a reinsurance receptionist and events planner, has used her tremendous energy and creativity to raise thousands of dollars for charities all over Bermuda. Now she is planning a special event to fundraise for the Bermuda Society for the Blind, and heighten awareness of life with a visual impairment.

“I am asking 50 friends to help me raise money for the Bermuda Society for the Blind by wearing an eyepatch and soliciting (donations),” said Mrs. Richardson. “If everyone comes back with at least $100, I will have made $5,000. Of course, the more the merrier.”

The Phoenix Store had already generously donated 50 eye patches for the project. Mrs. Richardson’s friend, Tracy Suber, also helped by drawing up pledge sheets.

“I have been working very closely with Mr. Brian Billings from the Bermuda Society for the Blind,” she said. “I went down there to have a look at what they need. He and I together are trying to make this a very successful fundraiser.”

Some of the funds will go towards buying craft supplies so that members of the society can make baskets and benches to sell.

Mrs. Richardson’s eye problems started with a local surgery to correct a torn retina. One day she was grocery shopping after the surgery when she suddenly started to haemorrhage in her left eye.

“I couldn’t figure out what had happened,” she said. “I couldn’t sign my cheque-book. I was in a confused state. Then I realised I’d lost sight in my left eye.”

There was so much blood in her eye that she couldn’t see out, and doctors couldn’t see in to locate the problem.

“I went off to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, thinking it would be an easy fix and found myself on the operating table early the following morning for emergency surgery,” she said.

“I was in Baltimore for two months during the recovery period.”

Doctors placed a buckle in her eye, and then put a type of gas in her eye to keep pressure on the buckle and hold the retina in place.

“It was a very painful surgery,” Mrs. Richardson said. “When I returned I had problems with glare. You know how bright Bermuda is compared to Baltimore. I had tremendous headaches, eye-aches. I was on about six different drops, six times a day.”

Unfortunately, her optical ordeal was not over. Cataract surgery followed. Then there was fluid and a cyst in her eye and more surgery. For at least half of her recovery she had to wear an eye patch.

“If I went out to parties or whatever I had to wear it,” Mrs. Richardson said. “What I remember were a lot of negative comments.

“They were insensitive for the most part. It made me think about what people with handicaps go through all the time. Off the cuff they would say, ‘what happened, your husband got mad at you?’ I would have thought that people seeing an adult wearing an eye patch would know that there is some sort of a problem. That made me realise what people with handicaps must go through with people looking at them or treating them differently.

“There are little things you notice when you have a challenge or you are a bit different. I knew immediately that I wanted to do something to help the Bermuda Society for the Blind. I feel that they could use help. I just felt that is where I wanted to go with this fundraiser.”

Mrs. Richardson hopes to not only raise money for the charity, but also awareness about sight challenges.

She said that many people have their sight damaged by diabetes, and Bermuda has a high rate of the disease.

“I think there will really be a need to pop money into this charity,” she said.

“So I am strongly asking 50 friends to ring me at 236-1788 if they would like to join me in my fundraising efforts. So far it has just been word of mouth.”

Although Mrs. Richardson is now back to work, she still has some challenges with her vision.

“You rise to the occasion,” she said.

“Cloudy days are not very good. It seems like there is a cloud over one eye. When I first returned to work I used to have to go home and lie down in a dark room for an hour or two before I could get up again. It has really been an adjustment. Many people think that it is okay to make out with one eye, but if you wear that eyepatch for a day you can see how it limits you. That is my aim.”

However, the Bermuda Society for the Blind wants people who take part in the fundraising drive, to be careful. They don’t want anyone having accidents trying to wear an eyepatch. Mrs. Richardson said it is okay to just wear the eyepatch on your forehead.

“Losing part of your sight is an awesome challenge,” said Mrs. Richardson. “It really alters your life. I am not minimising other disabilities, but your sight is so valuable.”

She said some things she had always enjoyed became a challenge with vision difficulties.

“In terms of cooking, I found that there are certain spices, especially salts that you can’t see very well with one eye,” she said. “I had to line the bottles up in a certain order and use them so I knew which one I was using. It became very difficult for me to see. Driving was impossible for a long time.

“I had problems with depth perception, even when I was sitting in the car with my husband. I always felt like he was close to things. By the time we got to my destination I was totally stressed out.”

Over the years Mrs. Richardson has helped to organise a number of creative events for different charities including the Sunshine League, The Family Learning Centre and the KBB, among others.

In addition to the Bermuda Society for the Blind fundraiser, she is also currently working on ways to help send Bermuda’s equestrians to the Pan Am Games.

“I have no idea how much money I have raised over the years,” she said. “It is more about making the community aware of the needs of a particular charity. Sometimes money continues to flow in way after an event is gone.”

She said by raising awareness, money continues to flow in, long after the special event is over. Unfortunately, because of her illness she had to cut back on her charity work for a long time.

“It has been about two years since I did anything for a charity,” she said.

“It feels so good to be involved again. I feel better when I am doing something. Sometimes it is at the expense of travelling. It does something for me that I can’t explain.”

In addition to her charity work, she and her husband Kenneth are also very involved with their two little grandchildren. The are both under the age of three at the moment, but she can’t wait to introduce them to the wonders of helping others.

“They are going to realise that they are going to have to give to the community, as do my children,” she said.

“I am an extra proud grandma. KBB is going to be one of the first things I am going to get them involved in.”

Mrs. Richardson’s eyepatch day will be on March 2. For more information telephone her at 236-1788.