Sherman Thompson developed a condition known as Cone Rod Degeneration which is caused when oxygen does not circulate properly around the eye. However, his loss of sight was not gradual, it was sudden and permanent.

?I went to church one Sunday morning and everything was fine,? said Mr. Thompson. ?By the time we went out for lunch I couldn?t see anything ? just like that. I sat down at the table and I couldn?t see what was on my plate.

?I didn?t panic. I thought it was my diabetes. I didn?t want to panic with all those people around. I waited until the lunch was over to tell my wife.?

As a hospital maintenance worker Mr. Thompson managed to make it through work the next day without his sight.

?The next day I caught the bus to work. I made it through the day.?

The emergency doctor appointment scheduled by his wife resulted in Mr. Thompson being sent to Boston to have his eyes checked at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Clinic.

After two weeks of cat-scans and MRIs, doctors told him that nothing could be done for his sight.

?It?s a hard transition to lose your sight just like that, not being able to realise where things are, not knowing what things look like,? Mr. Thompson said.

?The whole year 2003 was hard for me.?

When Mr. Thompson returned to the Island every aspect of his life changed.

?I had to get a doctor?s certificate saying that I could not work anymore. To come back and lose my job ? that was very hard.?

Soon after Mr. Thompson lost his sight he attended Mobility Training at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in Toronto.

The training was the first step taken in order to regain independence, teaching him how to do everyday activities by himself, travel on the bus, cross the street and use a walking cane.

Sherman Thompson?s eyes can no longer identify what is in front of them. He said: ?Everything is blurred. I don?t see any colours, I just see black and white.

?I can?t see anything in the day time. The light takes pressure off my eyes and I can see black shadows at night.?

When looking at a person he can not see what they look like, but instead just blurred shapes. ?I can feel your body, but I can?t see the smile on your face or the twinkle in your eye.?

Mr. Thompson hasn?t been the only one affected by his loss of sight. His family and friends also had to deal with the change.

?It?s difficult not being able to see my friends. It?s really hard.?

When asked how the experience has changed his family life Mr. Thompson admitted: ?It?s improved in some areas. It has got stronger but it can also be stressful at times.

?I started learning Braille, but you need a second person to help you with it, and sometimes my wife doesn?t always have the time.

?I would give anything to see again. It?s hard not being able to walk up to somebody and see them in the distance and see who they are. It?s hard not being able to read a book, or the newspaper. It?s hard not doing those things,? said Mr. Thompson.

?It?s hard not to realise where things are or remember where things are or not knowing what things look like.?

Memorisation is also a very important part of Mr. Thompson?s life now. Not only does he have to memorise the layout of his house, he has to remember the layout of Hamilton.

The most difficult aspect of blindness for Mr. Thompson is having to memorise what his friends and family look like.

?I like giving little gifts to surprise them but you can?t see their expressions (so) I try to visualise their facial expressions,? he said.

When asked what advice he would give to people in his situation that suddenly become blind he said: ?You first have to accept it. It is something that you have to fight within yourself. You need support from your family. Try to get advice from other people, try to find out what options are open to you. That?s what I would suggest.?