“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
~ Helen Keller (1880 – 1968)
Helen Keller, after becoming ill at the age of two, which resulted in her becoming deaf and blind, grew up to become a world-renown author, disability rights advocate, political activist, and lecturer. In an eerie similarity, at the tender age of three, Anne Mok began experiencing vision challenges and she too, has grown to become an amazing woman dedicated to creating change.
“I’m a digital storyteller seeking beauty with purpose and inspiration to the visually impaired community to make the view accessible.”
In her TEDxSFU talk, Blind Sighted, Anne takes viewers on a 17-minute journey, sharing her inspirational and courageous journey of growing up in two different cultures and not feeling a sense of belonging in either. Moreover, Anne articulates coming to terms with chronic illness while reflecting on her Asian identity and vision loss.
As one of 1.2 million Canadians living with vision loss, Anne walks us through the heartbreak of not only what she needed to put her life back together, but also what she needed to redesign and build a life where she felt included and connected. In her work, and this TEDxSFU talk, Anne articulates on breaking barriers, how to build community, and regardless of one’s challenges, how to find joy and purpose in life as it unfolds. Moreover, Anne offers practical tips for everyone to use ensuring that social media is accessible to all.
Anne is a Creator, Advocate, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Digital Storyteller, and Speaker. You can learn more about Anne and her work by visiting her website Purpose in View.
As a reminder, you can watch Anne’s TEDxSFU presentation Blind Sighted here.
A Personal Connection
Many of you have met Tony Mok, a dedicated BC Brain Injury Association board member. Tony and Anne are married. We are not only fortunate enough to have Tony as a strong advocate for survivors of brain injury, but we are also honoured to share Tony’s personal journey of brain injury recovery on Brainstreams.
Between the Lines
In the six-part series Between the Lines, Tony shares his experience with an acquired brain injury, and all that he’s learned from the recovery process. You will learn firsthand that Tony is a congenial, loving husband and father of three. He enjoys sports, Star Wars, and watching The Big Bang Theory with his wife. He also spent many years as a supervisor in the fast-paced fast food world, and like many dads, spent his off-hours ferrying his kids to hockey practice and cooking for the family.
Part 1 Tony’s Journey (Introduction)
Part 2 Stroke Awareness Save Lives
Part 3 Facing Fears it the Key to Recovery
Part 4 How Counselling Holds Families Together
Part 5 Slowing Down and Getting Back to Basics
Part 6 Finding Purpose in What you Love https://www.brainstreams.ca/survivors-stories/finding-purpose-in-what-you-love/
Faces of Brain Injury
We love to share people’s stories in a variety of formats. You can also learn more about Tony by visiting our Faces of Brain Injury posters.
