John Cooper & Clark 

Hello, my name is John Cooper. And thanks to the Guide Dog Foundation I am fortunate to be partnered with a wonderful guide dog named Clark. I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) as a child. My parents chose not to share that with me, so throughout my childhood I was open to trying different activities. My peripheral vision was limited and my night vision poor, so after a bit of trial and error I gradually began to realize that I sometimes faced obstacles that others didn’t. For example, I was terrible at hide and seek. I thought I was hiding in the shadows, but I wasn’t — to everyone else, I was just standing out in the open. Team sports like football and baseball that require good peripheral vision were not a good choice for me, so I gravitated towards individual sports like track and activities like theatre. I would sometimes stumble or run into obstacles, but I managed pretty well during my younger days. It wasn’t until college that I became fully aware of the progression of my disease.

Because vision loss in RP is not linear, I think the degree of my impairment kind of snuck up on me. I’d been managing by using fashion canes and limiting my activities. I was so used to operating without assistance, I think the idea that I’d benefit from having more help was something I came to accept only very gradually. Perhaps the biggest wake-up call I had was when my wife and I moved to Tennessee, and I went to see my new doctor at Vanderbilt. I shocked him by stating I was still driving. He informed me that those times had come to an end, and I suddenly came face to face with my more severe mobility limitations. At this point, I started using “the stick,” and it was during orientation and mobility training that I was first introduced to the idea that I’d be an excellent candidate for a guide dog. My O&M instructor pointed out that I still had some vision and was very mobile. The decision to get a guide dog was gradual though, partly because my wife and I were shocked at how much it costs to train and place one guide dog. That’s why the Guide Dog Foundation’s commitment to providing guide dogs to those who need them, absolutely free of charge, is so amazing. And it’s your contributions to the Guide Dog Foundation that put a guide dog within reach for those who might otherwise have to go without. My guide dog Clark is a beautiful yellow Labrador Retriever. He and I have been together for three years now. 

When we met, I was told he would be my Superman. I think maybe he is.

Clark and I walk a lot. It is wonderful to move with confidence and to be able to focus on a conversation or to think as I walk, instead of using all my attention and energy trying not to fall down or bump into something. It gives me such a feeling of freedom. While I have limited sight during the light of day, at night I’m nearly blind. Having Clark has made it possible for 
me to participate more easily in nighttime activities because I trust him to guide me wherever I need to go. I’m just a lot more confident and independent when traveling in new situations and places because having Clark by my side makes me feel safer. He is a great navigator. I know how lucky I am to have him. He’s with me every day and although my students enjoy Clark, they know not to pet him when he’s working, I make an exception on the last day of school. Then he gets all the pets he deserves.

Clark has made a great difference in my life. Knowing that the Guide Dog Foundation would take care of the costs of my getting a guide dog was important to me and my family. Your continued generosity brings guide dogs like Clark to the people like me who need them. You’re offering those who are blind or have low vision the opportunity 
for enhanced independence and mobility. There are many who are waiting for their own Superman.