Meet our Donor: Jim Tormey

Jim and his cat Scooter at home this holiday.

As we approach the end of the year, we hope that you will help make a difference in the lives of people living with vision loss by giving to the Council. Please read the story of someone who has been impacted by such gifts and also chooses to give back.

Jim Tormey likes to keep active. The Madison man walks an average of four miles each day and helps his dad chop wood at his parents Verona home. Jim lives in an apartment on Fish Hatchery Road in Madison with his 15-year-old cat, Scooter. The walkable neighborhood has a grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants and access to bus transportation.

Jim was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) at age 11. The genetic disease breaks down tissue at the back of eyes diminishing peripheral vision and making it hard to see at night.

He was connected to the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired through a low vision support group. That was about 10 years ago. He appreciates the assistance and products he has found through the Council over the years.

Because of the services he’s received, Jim is a regular donor to the Council. He hopes to join the White Cane Circle soon, which fulfills the Council’s mission through monthly giving. “If it weren’t for donors, people who have lost their vision wouldn’t be able to get all the services they need,” explains Jim. “I want to become a monthly donor to help young people and older adults learn what’s available to them.”

Because of the support and assistance Jim received from the Council he continues to log miles walking in and around the community. He rides in the annual Cycle for Sight event, run by the University of Wisconsin-Madison McPherson Eye Research Institute (MERI). He became involved through his work at the UW-Madison, where he held various roles for 13 years at the grounds department, the Natatorium and at the old Southeast Recreation Facility (SERF).