Hope in Focus Podcast

Hope in Focus Podcast | Episode 11 - Finding Her Voice: A Conversation with Sarah Hardwig

In this episode, we sit down with emerging country singer-songwriter Sarah Hardwig, who was diagnosed at just five months old with LCA10 CEP290. Sarah’s vision loss has never stopped her from pursuing her passion for music, showcasing her natural talent, or sharing her voice with others. Sarah opens up about growing up with vision loss, navigating school, and adapting to college life by learning new environments and classroom layouts. She also shares how she discovered her love for singing and songwriting, along with some of the biggest challenges she faced during college. Throughout the conversation, Sarah reflects on the vulnerability that comes with creating and performing music, reminding listeners that “everyone has their own story to tell, and everyone has their own way of telling it.” Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a special sneak peek of a live performance from Sarah.

Hope in Focus Podcast | Episode 10 - Insights from a Teacher of the Visually Impaired

In this episode, we’re joined by Beth, an education consultant with the Bureau of Education Services for the Blind at the Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services. With more than 20 years of experience as a certified Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI), Beth supports children and their families as they navigate the educational journey with low vision. She shares how she found her path into this field and offers practical guidance for parents who are just getting started—covering everything from understanding available resources to making decisions about mainstream education versus schools for the blind. Beth also talks about the importance of advocacy, adapting learning materials, and building the skills students need for independence.

Hope in Focus Podcast | Episode 9 - Vivien’s Wild Ride: Who Am I Without Vision?

Vivien Hillgrove led a remarkable 50-year career as a film editor for box office hits such as Amadeus, Blue Velvet and The Right Stuff. However, when she began losing her sight to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), she was faced with the challenge of redefining herself, how she moved through the world, and was forced to confront a profound question: Who am I without vision? In this episode, we talk with Vivien about her experience with vision loss, identity, creativity, and the emotional realities of adapting to a new way of life, as explored in her brilliant PBS documentary, Vivien’s Wild Ride. Her story captures both the richness of a full creative life and the grief, uncertainty, and transformation that can come with losing sight. Ultimately, Vivien reflects on how vision loss became not just a challenge, but a turning point that taught her how to embrace both the beauty and the hardest parts of life. Vivien’s Wild Ride is available to stream for free on PBS through the end of April.

Hope in Focus Podcast | Episode 8 - Odylia Therapeutics: Moving LCA6 Research Forward

Dr. Ashley Winslow is the CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Odylia Therapeutics, a nonprofit biotech organization accelerating gene therapies for rare diseases, including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Under her leadership, Odylia is advancing a gene therapy program for LCA6 caused by mutations in the RPGRIP1 gene. In this episode, Ashley shares how she entered the rare disease space, what makes Odylia’s nonprofit model unique, and where the RPGRIP1 gene therapy program currently stands. She also explains what LCA6 is, how it affects vision, and why collaboration between biotech and patient communities is essential to moving treatments forward.

Hope in Focus Podcast | Episode 7 - Shannon Boye: Founding Atsena Therapeutics & Advancing LCA1/XLRS

Dr. Shannon Boye is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Atsena Therapeutics, a gene therapy company advancing a treatment for LCA1 (GUCY2D), with a Phase 3 clinical trial coming soon. She is also a professor at the University of Florida, where she serves as Chief of the Division of Cellular and Molecular Therapy in the Department of Pediatrics and runs her own gene therapy research lab. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, Shannon joins us to share the story of her scientific journey—how she got started in research, her experiences working with big pharma, and what ultimately led her to co-found Atsena Therapeutics. She also discusses the Phase 1/2 clinical trial results for Atsena’s programs in LCA1 and X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), shares powerful stories about patients, and explains how organizations like Hope in Focus help connect biotech companies with the patient community and build meaningful, collaborative relationships.