Posted: 8/27/03

Civic groups join forces to help local girl

Howard Lestrud
ECM Online Managing Editor

Independence is very important to a 14-year-old girl. Soon-to-be Chisago Lakes ninth grader Amber Johnson is a case in point.

Her situation is a bit different, however, because Amber has been greatly vision impaired for most of her young life. She has had eight corneal transplants and was scheduled to have another at mid-week at the Phillips Eye Institute.

Amber recently was the recipient of a very treasured gift from the Forest Lake Lions Club and two American Legion Post 225 organizations, the Legion Auxiliary and 40/8.

The three service organizations donated a braille notetaker to Amber, a $6,000 device that allows her to do her school homework and communicate in an effective and easy fashion.

Amber utilized a braille notetaker during the past school year. She utilized a machine on loan to her from another agency.

Amber and her parents, Kerry and Randall Johnson, Chisago City, have long been close friends of the Forest Lake Lions Club. It was with the local club's help and the assistance of other Lions clubs in District 5M-7 that gave the Johnsons a link with the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank.

News of Amberís latest transplant was joy to the ears of everyone in the family. She says a successful surgery will give her better vision.

She currently can only see inches in front of her but that does not deter her enthusiasm about life and about people. Her goal is some day to become a psychologist.

Asked where she plans to attend college, Amber quips: ìIím too young to decide that right now.î

The special braille machine was officially presented to Amber during a ceremony prior to a Forest Lake Lions executive board meeting last week. Representing the Lions were members Norman Tolzmann, Bob Beattie and Rich Jabas. Nancy Immel represented the Legion Auxiliary and Don Kotchen and Dwight Dupey represented 40/8.

Soon after the presentation, Amber's mother Kerry visited the Lions board meeting to tell the Lions that the keypad sent in the order was the wrong kind, a regular keypad versus a braille one.

ìAmber was reluctant to return it saying she didnít want to hurt the feelingsî of her benefactors, said Kerry.

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