B.C. senior gains vision to help others after losing eyesight

A Victoria woman is showing how resilience and kindness can turn pain into purpose and create bonds that last a lifetime.

VICTORIA — While she’s waiting to go visit a long-time friend, Tepi Hughes is stopping to make some new feathered ones.

“I was just telling the seagulls to go to the ocean to get some fish,” Tepi smiles.

Tepi can still remember how both animals look, despite smallpox stealing her sight when she was seven.

“Now I’m 65 years old and I don’t even look it,” Tepi laughs.

But before growing up to become a confident woman, Tepi was a fearful girl.

“I didn’t even know I was going to be loved by anybody,” Tepi says.

She endured people who were cruel and others even worse, before deciding to transform her hurt by helping others’ healing.

“I can show them how to love people, not to be hurting them,” Tepi says.

So, she committed to spend countless hours volunteering for charities that help her neighbours in need.

“It feels good doing good things for other people,” Tepi smiles.

She also regularly visits people who she’s befriended, like 94-year-old Eugene who recently moved into a care home.

“She’s a friendly person,” Eugene smiles while holding Tepi’s hand.

If you ask Eugene the secret to their enduring friendship, he’ll credit their shared humour by making a joke.

“She’s small, so she won’t beat me up,” Eugene says, before they both laugh.

If you ask Tepi about their friendship, she’ll praise Eugene’s thoughtfulness.

“I don’t think I could ever find anybody like him,” Tepi smiles.

Although Tepi lost her sight, she says she’s gained the vision to try and make the world a better place in the whatever way she can.

“Don’t live in the past. Go forward,” Tepi smiles. “And if you love the world, the world will love you and smile with you.”