How Midas helped me find my way forward
By Jason Reynolds, guide dog handler
When the call came, I had to get off the phone before I cried.
A member of the CNIB Guide Dogs team told me I was going to be matched with Midas, a guide dog I’d recently met through CNIB Guide Dogs. I’d felt a connection with him right away.
She said I could take a day or two to think about it.
“I don’t need to think about it,” I said.
I already knew.
Adjusting to a new life
Before losing most of my sight, I was a long-haul trucker. The open road was my office, and I was used to travelling thousands of kilometres on my own. Then, in my 40s, I developed idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a condition that causes pressure to build around the brain. Before I knew it, I’d lost most of my sight, and my life changed completely.
I had to learn how to navigate the world in a new way. For me, it was one thing not to see, but learning how to actually function blind was another story altogether.
For someone who used to travel so much on my own, suddenly needing help just to get around was hard. It felt like my world was closing in on me. I used to say I was chained to the end of my driveway.
Eventually, I decided to apply for a guide dog through CNIB. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
I got my freedom back
When Midas came into my life, everything changed. With him, I wasn’t stuck anymore. I could put on his harness, walk out the door, and just go.
I feel more confident going to places like restaurants, malls, and grocery stores. Midas guides me around tables and chairs and helps me move through large, open spaces. Crowded places are easier to navigate, and I feel safer travelling somewhere unfamiliar. He’s given me more freedom to be spontaneous.
Midas has even stopped us from stepping in front of cars. One day, we had the light in our favour and were partway across the street when a car raced past the stop line in front of us. Midas stopped, then guided me safely behind it.
It was one of those “aha” moments. This was why I had a guide dog.
But Midas has changed more than how I get around. He’s my travel partner, my best pal, and a big part of my life. Today, I volunteer at the CNIB Winnipeg Community Hub several times a week, and Midas comes with me. Wherever I’m going and whatever I’m doing, we’re in it together.
I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who makes partnerships like mine and Midas’s possible, including the people who give their time and the donors who support CNIB. To everyone who helped bring us together, thank you.
You can help someone else move forward
I know firsthand how much the right support can change someone’s life. With your help, more people who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision can access guide dogs and other vital CNIB programs that help them move forward with greater confidence and independence. Please give to CNIB today and help make that possible.