THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, February 28, 2020 ~ The Advocate Asks ~ Page 3 Blindness hasn’t stopped Valerie Haven from seeing the world; her last trip was to India Editor’s Note: For this week’s interview, we sat down with Valerie Claire Haven, a Saugus Lions Club member who has been blind for more than half of her life. But she hasn’t allowed her disability to keep her from traveling around the world. She began this year by fl ying to India – her second trip to that country in three years. Haven, 64, was born in California and grew up in Pennsylvania, about 40 miles west of Philadelphia. She later moved to the Greater Boston area where she has lived for about four decades – the last 13 years in Malden. Retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that she inherited, robbed her of her eyesight when she was in her 30’s. Despite the adversity, Haven persevered to educate herself and pursue a career. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Albright College in Reading, Pa. She earned a Master of Sacred Theology and a Master of Divinity from Boston University. She earned a third Master’s – a Master of Science degree in Emergency Management – while becoming the fi rst blind person to graduate from Massachusetts Marimanagement. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member for the University of Southern Maine, teaching in the Abilities and Disabilities Graduate Program. Some highlights of the interview follow. Q: You are totally blind, except for light? A: I have no usable vision, just light perception. Q: So, you can tell whether it’s night or daytime? A: Yes. Q: Or you would know when the lights in the house were turned off ? A: Yes, I would know that. Q: Please tell me a little bit about your blindness. Is this something you were born with, or did you lose your sight at some point? A: I have what is called retinitis pigmentosa. When I turned eight years old, it was already in the advanced stages. I had really good vision into my mid-20’s. By HAVEN | SEE PAGE 14 HER INSTALLATION: Longtime Saugus Lions Club member Eugene Decareau, left, recruited Valerie Haven to join the Saugus Lions Club even though there’s a Lions Club in Malden, where she lives. Decareau introduced Haven last June when the Saugus Lions Club celebrated its 90th birthday party. (Saugus Advocate fi le photo by Mark E. Vogler) time Academy. She is a minister of the United Church of Christ, where she is called when needed. She worked 18 years at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, where she was an academic technology coordinator at the Ross Center for Disability Services. She retired from that position last year. Currently, she runs a website and consulting business on issues of disability in emergence “I love having my mom live with me. Our aving my mom h me. Our AFCNS team is so helpful so helpful and engaged.” Cindy, Caregiver gaged.” to Mother Caregiver er, Ruth 978-281-2612 AdultFosterCareNS.com Celebrating 19 Years
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