Retired nurse honored with Hadley HEROES Award
After a 40-year distinguished career in nursing specializing in hospice care, Angie Lauderbach, 81, of Arlington Heights, was planning to spend her later years with her grandchildren, traveling the country and giving back to her community through volunteering.
That all changed three years ago following a failed corneal transplant surgery that left her legally blind.
"I became terribly depressed, particularly after I could no longer make out faces and had to stop driving my car. I lost my eyesight and freedom all at the same time," said Lauderbach, who is among the growing population of aging Americans who experience vision loss due to macular degeneration, glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy.
"I spent my entire career as an RN, helping others through their grief and loss, and here I was with no idea what to do."
Lauderbach searched out resources for talking books and a low-vision support group near her. It was there she learned about Winnetka-based Hadley, a leading provider of distance and online learning for those with vision loss. Hadley provides a wide selection of workshops, discussion groups and live support from experts - all at no cost.
"Angie came to us at the most opportune time," said Julie Tye, president and CEO of Hadley. "We were embarking on the development phase of reinventing our entire digital footprint and approach to teaching, Hadley.edu, which was built on many months of research based on the needs, wants and desires of visually impaired adults."
Lauderbach served as one of Hadley's very first advisers, providing valuable input and perspective on workshops and what kinds of topics would be most helpful to someone like her, who is new to vision loss.
Lauderbach's early participation served as the model for later engaging others with vision loss for feedback as advisers for the new Hadley.edu.
Launched in July of 2020, the new platform has already attracted more than 10,000 learners who have taken more than 50,000 workshops.
In recognition for her contributions, Lauderbach has been named a recipient of Hadley's inaugural HEROES Award.
"Angie has truly helped Hadley be our best by taking the time to give us her insights and honest feedback," says Tye. "That kind of help is invaluable, and we will never take it for granted."
"It was an honor to help Hadley," said Lauderbach. "My advice to anyone experiencing vision loss is to take advantage of the many resources available through Hadley. They are always there right at your fingertips. You may have lost your sight, but never lose sight of what's truly important, and that is the contribution that the visually impaired can make on others."
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