Mel Foat was not always blind, in fact he lost his sight less than one year ago.
“For me, March 12, 2013 began like any other day, except that I had a routine cataract surgery scheduled but it was nothing to worry about,” says Foat. However, complications from contacting a virus during surgery left the 63 year old farmer blind.
Foat is not completely blind, he has very limited sight in one eye. “I have just enough vision to be dangerous,” says Foat, “I think I can see what I can see, but then I’m wrong.”
Due to his sudden blindness, Foat was no longer able to farm and was forced to retire. “I wasn’t ready to retire”, he explains.
In an effort to be able to get around on his own, Foat began using a cane when walking. Although he became fairly good at navigating with the cane, friends and family encouraged him to look into getting a guide dog.
He explains why in the beginning he was reluctant to do so, “I tried kidding myself that I didn’t need help,” says Foat who adds, “I was also second guessing right up until the week before I got Walker, thinking there were other people more needy and even more deserving than me who should get a guide dog.”
However, one day on a simple walk to Tim Hortons for coffee, the Chestermere man got lost. That’s when he began to realize that a guide dog might be able to allow him to be even more independent while maintaining safety.
Having been associated with the Chestermere Lions Club for the past four years and more recently even serving as President, Foat had some background information on the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides program. With the encouragement of his children and his wife Gwen, he finally filled out the application for a dog. Shortly thereafter, he received a visit from a representative of the Dog Guides in Ontario and he soon found himself a potential candidate to receive a special gift.
“During the interview with the Lions Foundation Dog Guide representative, we went for a walk around the block together and that’s when she told me that although I get along very well with a cane, I have no idea how much a dog would change things for me.”
In January, Foat boarded a plane for Oakville, Ontario where the training centre for the Dog Guides is located. He would spend four weeks there, learning how to handle his new furry companion, Walker who is a 20 month old incredibly handsome yellow Lab.
Walker, like all guide dogs, has been trained to assist their handlers in navigating obstacles typically found on most daily routes, including curbs, steps and crowds. Guide dogs help to create an increased sense of mobility for their handlers. In Canada, guide dogs are allowed to go anywhere the general public is allowed.
“It is an interesting story about how we met,” recalls Foat, “I was sitting in a room where they brought in two dogs, Walker and one of his sisters. They both immediately began to wrestle and play like dogs do but once they settled down, the trainers had them do two laps around the room and then asked them to lay down. Walker’s sister, a black lab laid down in the centre of the room but Walker came over to me and lie down at me feet.”
A graduation ceremony was held in Ontario for Mel and Walker before they flew home together in mid-February. Although it will take time for the pair to fully bond, it is apparent how close the two already are as I witness Walker casually and lazily chewing on a bone at Foat’s feet.
What could easily have been enough to tear a man down, has actually had the opposite effect on Foat who believes that in life we all have choices, “We are all dealt certain things in life but we also have the choice as how to deal with them. I’m not afraid to say that as long as I have my faith in God, my friends, my family and my sense of humour, I’ll be okay.”
Foat’s wife Gwen adds, “We have been blessed in so many ways throughout this, it has been a very humbling time in our lives.”
Foat wants to be able to share his story with others to help those who may have lost faith in life. “I plan and have a desire to contribute back to the community what I have received,” he says. “The kindness extended to us from so many people with the community has been phenomenal and has not gone unnoticed.”
Please be reminded that as tempting as it is to pet a guide dog, it is important to remember that a guide dog in harness is working which takes an incredible amount of concentration. Guide dogs are responsible for guiding someone who cannot see and should never be distracted from that duty. For that reason, when a guide dog is working it is a good rule of thumb to avoid interacting with the dog in any way.
Lions Foundation of Canada is a national charitable foundation created by Lions Clubs across Canada. Each dog costs approximately $25,000 to raise and train yet they are provided at no cost to qualified applicants. For more information on the program visit www.dogguides.com.
