Meet our Vice President: Cindy Edwards

About me 

I am a retired registered nurse and I've had ocular surface disease since I was a teenager. Through the years I was diagnosed with other complex eye diseases, some of which are genetic. Managing dry eyes and recurrent corneal erosions presented a great many challenges that left me feeling desperate and extremely isolated at a very young age. Fortunately, I was able to continue on with my education. The last several years of my nursing career I worked primarily in Quality and Patient Safety so I am always on the lookout for areas of concern involving potential safety issues.

My eyes have always influenced the many decisions I have made throughout my life in terms of leisure activities, career choices and even where I can sit when going to a restaurant to avoid moving air and facing away from a sunny window because of light sensitivities. I was the teenager in the early '70s who always wore sunglasses when sunglasses weren't very cool yet!

Why I joined the Board

I first became acquainted with Rebecca Petris many years ago. It was during my first conversation with her that I realized she was not only extremely knowledgeable about dry eyes but helping others to navigate this dry eye world was her passion. We both learned from each other different aspects, perspectives and experiences for what it means to have serious OSD. Once I retired, I had more time to participate in the FB groups and eventually in the DEF Zoom groups during the pandemic. It felt right to be able to connect with others who are searching for ways to manage and cope with differing levels of OSD.

My work at the Foundation

My appointment as a board member for the DEF was in April 2022. I have recently become a moderator for two Facebook groups: My Big Fat Scleral Lens and Dry Eye Talk-Patients Only. Rebecca has paired me with several other people who are struggling with recurrent corneal erosions since it is one of the conditions I have. I have connected with several of them by phone to not only help them navigate this condition but also to help them identify some coping strategies.

How you can support us

There are many ways you can support the work of the DEF.  For example, you can volunteer to become a Dry Eye Buddy via phone calls, Zoom or some other means to help someone who is needing guidance to navigate and cope with their OSD or simply lend an empathetic ear if they simply need someone to talk to. If you would like to help in some way but don't know how, ask what you can do to get involved! Monetary donations to support the work of the DEF are always appreciated.