Here are stories from people with DRD, showcasing their courage, determination, and unwavering spirit in facing vision loss and blindness from diabetes. These inspirational stories serve as a beacon of hope and illustrate the incredible strength of the human spirit and the power of perseverance.
Personal Experiences
The Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative’s community members
share their experiences with diabetic retinal disease (DRD).
Meet Our Heroes
Ryan Barunas
Ryan has lived with diabetes for over 34 years, has experienced vision loss from the disease, and had a partial detachment of his left retina following scatter laser therapy. Ryan believes that, due to MTM Vision’s passion and commitment to research to prevent vision loss and blindness from diabetes, we will bring better future outcomes for patients like himself. Ryan spoke about his vision loss from diabetes
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Sydney Colvill
Vision loss steals more than the ability to see. After 48 years of battling T1D, Sydney lost her vision due to diabetic complications of the eyes. Sydney had new hope after hearing Mary Tyler Moore’s husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine, speak. “That was the night hope came back into my life. Robert has taken his love for Mary—his complete understanding of what she was dealing with—and used it for me. For all of us,” she said. “The coming together of academia and industry this is making happen—the minds and the technology—is so inspiring.”
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Monica Oxenreiter
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1995, Monica’s journey, alongside her brother’s diagnosis three years later, transformed their battle into a family affair. As a delegate of the JDRF Children’s Congress in Washington, DC, Monica found inspiration in Mary Tyler Moore’s advocacy, seeing her as a role model of elegance and strength.
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Chris German
Meet Christopher German, PhD, a passionate advocate for diabetes awareness and a lay advisory committee member for the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative. Chris has been living with Type 1 diabetes for over 35 years since he was diagnosed at just six years old. For the past 15 years, he’s faced bi-annual assessments, which, while helpful for tracking the disease’s progression, often fall short of offering guidance for prevention of future complications.
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Arielle Cilaire
Arielle Cilaire is a staff member of our partner Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF). Arielle’s journey with her eye health took an unexpected turn during the pandemic. After years of regular check-ups with an ophthalmologist, she went to a retinal specialist. Just a year after giving birth, she received shocking news: “You have diabetic retinal disease (DRD) in both eyes, stronger in your left.” Arielle had no previous signs and learned that pregnancy could accelerate DRD. The doctor emphasized that all people with T1D should see a retina specialist.
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Grace Bennett
Grace Bennett, an employee at BreakThroughT1D (formerly JDRF), had always been fiercely independent, navigating the ups and downs of life with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) that ultimately caused her to have Diabetic Retinal Disease (DRD). When she began experiencing complications with her vision as a result of DRD, everything changed. The fear was overwhelming—what would happen if she lost something as crucial as her eyesight? On top of the fear, there was the crushing weight of shame and isolation. Grace couldn’t shake the feeling that it was her fault, that maybe she’d done something wrong in managing her diabetes.
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Liz Walsh
Meet Liz Walsh, a dedicated team member of our partner BreakthroughT1D (formerly JDRF). Liz’s journey with her eye health started six years ago when she noticed dark spots in her vision. A subsequent exam revealed severe damage, and since 2018, she’s courageously undergone five surgeries to repair a recurring detached retina in her left eye. While there are no guarantees for the future, Liz’s story is one of strength, resilience, and hope.
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Nina Jolani
Nina Jolani has lived with diabetes for over 33 years and was diagnosed with diabetic retinal disease (DRD) in 2023. After her diagnosis, she moved closer to her family to ensure she would have a support system when it came to appointments, lasers, surgeries, and more. While she knew that DRD was a complication of diabetes, she never thought that it would happen to her.
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Adriana Plevniak
Adriana Plevniak, a member of our Lay Advisory Committee who has lived with type 1 diabetes for 36 years and navigating diabetic retinopathy for over a decade, opened the Symposium. She told us about her personal experience with DRD. She said: “Diabetic eye disease has taken so much from me, but today I stand here bleed-free, proof of what innovation and collaboration can achieve.” She went on to say, “Mary spoke so eloquently about her experience with DRD. She expressed that diabetic eye disease had stolen dance—her joy—from her. Joy comes in many shapes and forms, and losing one of our senses dramatically changes how we experience the world and takes away some of our joy.”
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