When a General Couldn't Look Away | Gale Pollock, Founder of eleVIVO

Thumbnail description: Two photos of Gale Pollock. On the left, Gale in U.S. Army dress uniform in front of an American flag. On the right, Gale smiling in an equestrian helmet beside a black horse. Black text on a white background reads Gale Pollock, Major General (Ret) Thriving with Vision Loss. The eleVIVO logo appears in the lower right corner.Sometimes change begins with a single question. A question asked in a congressional hearing that no one in the room was prepared to answer. In this episode of Thriving with Vision Loss, Michelle sits down with Gale Pollock — retired Major General, former Commander of U.S. Army Medical Command, 22nd Chief of the Army Nurse Corps, and Acting Surgeon Generalof the Army. Gale does not live with vision loss herself. What she witnessed during her service is what brought her here — and what led her to found eleVIVO. Together they explore the moment in a congressional hearing that Gale could not unhear, what the data revealed about wounded service members falling through the cracks after rehabilitation, how the gap between military and civilian vision loss support came into focus, and why she felt compelled to build something that did not yet exist. This episode also touches on faith, the personal cost of seeing a problem clearly, and what Gale wants people navigating vision loss —and those who love them — to know. In this episode:- The congressional hearing moment that changed the direction of Gale's life- What the data showed about service members succeeding medically but falling through the cracks in life- How the military experience revealed a much larger civilian gap- The role of faith in sustaining long-term service work- What Gale wishes more people understood about vision loss- What eleVIVO is and why it was built- What she wants people early in their vision loss journey to hear Thriving with Vision Loss is an eleVIVO original series. If this conversation resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more people navigating vision loss find this show. Support and Free TrialIf you or someone you care about is navigating vision loss,eleVIVO offers a free six-month individual trial for the first 1000 people who sign up.elevivo.com/#/freetrial Learn more about eleVIVO:https://elevivo.com Would you like to be featured on an upcoming episode ofThriving with Vision Loss? Email [email protected]  Accessibility NoteSpecial thanks to Scott Joffre, The Blind Striker, for accessibility insights that helped shape this episode.The Blind Striker on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theblindstriker Music CreditEnding music: Circles by Classless Act. Used with permission.Deep thanks to our friends in Classless Act for generously sharing their music and supporting Thriving with Vision Loss and the blindness community.Learn more about Classless Act:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classlessactYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@classlessactarmy This conversation reflects personal experience and is not intended as medical or legal advice.