12/31/2025
✨ Karen’s RP Journey: Finding Hope and Reassurance in Uncertainty
Meet Karen, a 39-year-old mother from France who has lived with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) since childhood. For most of her life, she was told that RP was an incurable condition and that her vision would only continue to decline. As the years passed, moving through everyday environments became increasingly difficult, especially in low-light or busy settings. Her sense of direction and safety gradually faded, and eventually she began relying on a white cane. Even with support, daily life remained challenging.
Karen first learned about Wellspring Clinic through her husband, who came across patient stories online. At the beginning, they were highly skeptical. Western doctors had always told them there were no options, so seeing people talk about improvement felt hard to believe. They spent a long time watching videos, researching, and weighing the reality of traveling from France to Vancouver, along with the financial commitment involved. What finally changed everything wasn’t online content, but a real-life encounter. By chance, they met French-speaking patients who had personally traveled to the clinic and shared their genuine experiences. Hearing these stories face-to-face gave Karen and her family the confidence to take a step they had never imagined taking before.
During treatment, Karen was surprised by how quickly she noticed change. She explained that in the past, when looking at someone’s face, she could often only see part of it. During visual field testing, objects would simply disappear as they moved away from her central vision. By the third day of treatment, she felt a small but clear opening in her visual field. While her vision wasn’t suddenly sharp, she became better at detecting movement and changes around her. This experience challenged the belief she had carried for years: that nothing could ever improve.
One of the most meaningful moments for Karen came during a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium. In the past, similar outings in France left her feeling disconnected, she couldn’t find the fish and relied on others to describe what they saw. This time, she was able to locate fish more quickly, follow their movement, and notice contrasts created by light and color. Her husband described watching her truly enjoy the experience for the first time, reacting with genuine wonder to glowing jellyfish and brightly colored fish. It wasn’t just about seeing more, it was about being present and sharing the moment instead of standing on the sidelines.
Beyond vision, Karen noticed changes in how she felt overall. She arrived at the clinic feeling low in energy and uncertain, but through a holistic approach that included acupuncture, herbal support, daily exercises, and lifestyle guidance, she began to feel more balanced in her body. Although she had little prior experience with traditional Chinese medicine, she appreciated being treated as a whole person rather than focusing only on her eyes. She committed to the recommended eye exercises and herbal routine, understanding that progress takes time and consistency. She is open about the reality that ongoing treatment requires planning and financial consideration, but for the first time, she no longer feels powerless.
“I thought nothing could be done for my vision…
But at Wellspring, I discovered that improvement may still be possible.”
