Contact: [email protected]
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – Sept. 30, 2024 – Getting a driver’s license is often taken for granted by the average teenager. But not Midlothian teen Ronald “Grayson” Flournoy. He had his eyes on the prize years before turning 16 and with good reason.
Grayson has albinism, a rare inherited genetic condition that occurs in about one in 20,000 people in the United States. Albinism reduces the amount of melanin pigment formed in the skin, hair, and/or eyes, and sometimes results in pale skin, white or very light hair and light-colored eyes. Melanin also plays an important role in the development and function of the eyes, so people with albinism often have vision problems that are not correctable with eyeglasses.
Because of his condition, securing a driver’s license did not come easy to Grayson. Grayson’s albinism causes blurry vision, rapid back-and-forth eye movement (nystagmus), and sensitivity to bright lights and glare (photophobia), such as bright light and glare from the sun.
Grayson’s mother Kristin Flournoy likens his vision to watching old standard-definition television rather than today’s high-definition, more detail-heavy television. “It’s the sun’s glare and position in the sky, particularly at sunrise and sundown, that is the most difficult for Grayson vision-wise,” said Mrs. Flournoy, “He also has difficulty seeing small objects and, at times, has difficulty focusing.”
Grayson had aged out of his pediatric specialist’s care and the family was desperately searching for an eye specialist to manage his low vision needs. “We saw several eye specialists, but no one knew how to care for Grayson. We needed more options,” said Mrs. Flournoy.
Then, they found Dr. Jamie Pucci at MedRVA’s Low Vision Center, and Grayson’s life-changing journey began.
Biopic telescppe mounted on headpiece.
“I met Grayson and his mom in late 2020 when Grayson was 13,” said Jamie Pucci, O.D., director of the MedRVA Low Vision Center. “He’d been referred to me for low vision rehabilitation, which is different than traditional comprehensive eye care. In low vision rehab, we work with people who don’t see as well as they’d like to, even with glasses or contact lenses. Our job is to maximize their visual functioning.”
MedRVA’s Low Vision Center is funded by the MedRVA Foundation and is Richmond’s only independent not-for-profit center dedicated to helping patients with low vision by offering evaluation and rehabilitation services.
“Our work is very goal-oriented,” said Dr. Pucci. “Grayson had one goal and that was to drive. He was very motivated and would do whatever was necessary, use whatever specialized tool or device he needed to make it happen. His goal became my goal.”
Grayson’s vision was 20/100 at the time. Virginia’s requirement for an unrestricted driver’s license is 20/40 and 20/70 for a daytime-only license. As it stood, Grayson was prohibited from driving. “Our initial goal was to see if we could at least hit one of those milestones to get him driving,” said Dr. Pucci.
Dr. Pucci started with a different type of refraction, which got Grayson’s vision to 20/80, but his vision still needed to be better. Next came distance aids, including bioptic telescopes.
Grayson wearing the mounted telescope.
When looking through a hand-held telescope, Grayson was able to achieve 20/30 vision, which was encouraging. The problem was that bioptic telescopes are generally mounted on glasses or a headband above the line of sight. Grayson’s nystagmus worsened when he looked upward into the telescope, making it unusable. The telescope needed to be very close to his nose and at the correct angle to keep the nystagmus at bay.
After struggling for a year to find a specialty optical that could make the device usable for Grayson, it was time for some expert engineering. Enter Grayson’s machinist grandfather, Ron, who mounted the telescope on a welder’s headband at the exact angle necessary, giving Grayson 20/25 vision.
The rest is history. Within a few months, Grayson had his learner’s permit, and in early January 2024, he received his license.
Grayson with his parents.
“Grayson’s journey is extraordinary,” said Taylan Bozkurt, CEO of MedRVA. “I’m proud to say it is one of the many ways our MedRVA Foundation-supported Low Vision Center has helped Virginians with vision impairment reach their goals.”
“I am incredibly happy for Grayson and so proud to have been a part of his journey!” said Dr. Pucci.
“He is an amazing young person, and I know he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Grayson’s family is equally grateful to Dr. Pucci and MedRVA. “Dr. Pucci not only saw the possibilities but understood Grayson as a person and a teenager,” said Mrs. Flournoy. “Her optimism and determination were unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
And now Grayson is living his dream.
###
MedRVA Healthcare
MedRVA Healthcare’s independent imaging and ambulatory surgery centers, MedRVA Surgery Center at Stony Point, the Surgery Center at West Creek and the Imaging Center at West Creek, provide services to patients across the Richmond region, regardless of their ability to pay. The Low Vision Center is located at Stony Point.
The MedRVA Foundation
brings high-quality vision care to children and visually impaired adults in underserved communities across the Richmond region, helping them realize and reclaim their potential to live life fully.