Portraits of the Jersey Shore Blind Business Man_

Man Born Blind Rises Above Challenges

“I am legally blind. My mother was in a bus accident while she was pregnant with me, and I was born premature. My eyesight never fully developed. I have been legally blind my entire life. I am going to be 70 soon. I have a college degree. I am married, I have a son, and life is good.

“In 1977 I decided I was done working for other people, and I have run this business ever since. This is my business, I own it. It’s called Jack’s Heavenly Haven. I am open from between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning, until 3:20. I ran it for 30 years at the federal building in Newark, and now 10 years here. I try to make the best of everything. I am 70 now though, so I don’t know how much longer I will be running this. My eyesight gets worse every year, but I adapt. It’s only a pain if you let it get in your way.”

~ Toms River Library

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