Laura Gregory loves to read.
The 41-year-old reads two to three books a week on her iPad.
She literally has her "nose stuck in a book." She needs to be that close because she is legally blind.
"I have a disease called neurofibromatosis and when I was five they found a tumor in my optic nerve," Gregory said.
Doctors believe that tumor is what ultimately affected her eyesight, and it hasn’t been easy.
Despite having a college degree, she’s been unemployed for almost eight years now.
"I’ve worked in the Marlboro schools for 2 1/2 years, but since then I haven’t been able to find work... partly because of discrimination," Gregory said.
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But, Gregory has new hope.
In September, she got to try on electronic glasses called “eSight.” The special glasses allow the legally blind to see.
"It was incredible. My husband was standing across the room from me and for the first time, I could clearly see his facial expressions from across the room," Gregory said.
It was the most incredible moment but it lasted for only five minutes.
The glasses cost $9,000 and Gregory just doesn’t have the money.
Her friends began fundraising on her behalf in December.
Gregory says her friends have already raised $1,000. They've put up fliers around town for people interested in helping out.
Gregory is eager to see if they can raise the money soon so she can start the life she’s always envisioned.
"My goals are to start working again and to write these books but it’ll change like, I love going to Starbucks and I’ll actually know what Starbucks serves," she said.
If you want to donate to Gregory, you can send money to: eSight for Laura, P.O. Box 214, Marlboro, MA 01752
