Original Blog Entry: Fox News Glenn Beck: I could go blind next year

truesee — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:27:28 GMT

Fox News personality Glenn Beck: I could go blind within the next year

Aliyah Shahid

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, July 20th 2010, 8:30 AM

Caulfield/WireImageFox News personality Glenn Beck may be losing his eyesight, he acknowledged to a crowd in Utah on Saturday.

The Fox News personality was diagnosed with macular dystrophy and could lose his eyesight within the next year.

A teary-eyed Beck told a crowd of 6,000 fans during his American Revival tour on Saturday that he went to a doctor after having difficulty focusing his eyes.

So, I went to the best doctor I could find -- while I could still go the best doctor I could find, Beck said, taking a jab at healthcare reform.

Macular dystrophy is a rare genetic condition, which can cause vision loss that grows worse over time. Patients often experience difficulty driving, reading and identifying faces.

Beck asked the doctor if the condition was a Jerry Lewis thing. The physician told him he could go blind in the next year -- or he might not.

I said, Did you just charge me a thousand dollars for knowing what I already knew my whole life?' I knew that at 3! You might go blind someday. You might not, he joked.

But then Beck became serious, and his eyes welled with tears and his voice quivered, Lord if you need my eyes, they're yours, he said.

The conservative pundit said he can deal with not being able to see his family, because he already knows what they will look like. But, he's terrified about not being able to read.

I'm too darn lazy to learn Braille, he said.

On Monday, Beck acknowledged his condition on his show. He said he is going to deal with his eyesight problems with a smile.

I'm grateful that I've had them, he said of his eyes. I don't want to lose them, but I'm grateful that I have them.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/07/20/2010-07-20_fox_news_personality_glenn_beck_i_could_go_blind_within_the_next_year.html#ixzz0uETd7p61

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