Bringing Back the Light
The surgery Andrea Walker received through the help of the JWF Musician Health & Services Program was life-changing. With restored vision, Andrea is thrilled to see everything more clearly and brightly – from guitar fretboards to dimly lit streets to the faces of friends at the back of an audience.
By Claire Levine.
Andrea Walker loves to drive and is good at it. As a working musician – guitarist and co-founder of Glitterfox – Andrea is behind the wheel to and from Portland gigs and while touring the country.
One night, the car Andrea was driving hit a median strip. Days later, they hit a curb. And when they hit a parked car (no damage done), they knew it was time to do something about the rare type of cataracts that had been growing slowly for most of Andrea’s 42 years.
With help from the JWF’s Musician Health & Services Program and two other organizations, Andrea had the cataracts removed and received new, perfect-vision lenses, in January. Andrea said the surgery “totally changed my life,” in ways never anticipated.
Andrea, Solange and the evolution of Glitterfox. Andrea Walker met Solange Igoa in southern California. (Like all good love stories, their relationship started out with a little competitive friction. See the video on their website to hear them talk about it. Photo of Glitterfox courtesy of Jaquelyn Cruz)
Andrea immediately fell in love with Solange’s voice (which this writer thinks all of you will, too). They became music partners and life partners, marrying in 2018.
They have accomplished a rare feat – keeping both a relationship and a music ensemble together while traveling the country in a van for two years. Their duet had been powered by a creative drive, original songs, great talent, and a desire to live a simple, unburdened life.
In 2018, they settled into an apartment in Portland, attracted by Portland’s well-known creative community. They soon became friends with singer-songwriter Eric Stalker, who learned bass just so he could perform with them. Most recently, Blaine Heinonen joined them on drums.
“Ever since we became a four piece,” Andrea said, “we’ve been playing a lot bigger stages, getting bigger spots in festivals.”
In 2023, Glitterfox signed a record deal with the label Kill Rock Stars. Together, they have recorded a series of singles, and they expect a full album to come out within the year.
Chris Funk of the Decemberists was so taken with Glitterfox that he started producing their singles and gradually took on the role of manager. Then Glitterfox acquired an agent. And one day Peter Buck of REM joined them in the recording studio (an especially big deal for Andrea, who’s first concert outing was to see REM).
Last year was a period of huge growth and excitement for Glitterfox. And it coincided with the time Andrea’s cataracts started to interfere with their mobility and their music.
Eye surgery to bring back the light. At a very young age, Andrea was diagnosed with Cerulean cataracts: opaque areas on the eye that interfere with light and vision. The condition is so rare that Andrea’s eye doctors often ask permission to take photos of their eyes, as even specialists have never seen these cataracts before.
Like more common cataracts, Cerulean cataracts grow very slowly. These start to affect vision in peoples’ thirties or forties.
Cataracts reduce light coming into the eye and also can cause glare, making driving uncomfortable and difficult. They also make it harder to read, see a phone screen and perform many other routine tasks.
Andrea said, “I’m a musician. Everything about my lifestyle happens at night.” And although they worked around the problem by Solange taking on the night driving, Andrea said, “it was still just so limiting. And if I had to drive at night, it would feel so scary . . . it would feel dangerous.”
Andrea’s Oregon Health Plan insurance paid for basic cataract removal and lens replacement. But it wouldn’t cover the lenses Andrea’s eye specialist strongly recommended.
Andrea said, “I’m only 42. These are my eyes – the only ones I get.” Andrea realized that it only made sense to obtain the best lenses available. But those cost $8,000 – a huge sum for an independent musician – with payment up front. Andrea decided, “I’m just going to commit to getting the better lenses, and then I’ll figure out how to pay for it.
“I’m a musician. I spend all my time on the road, and I want to be able to see well,” Andrea said. And while Glitterfox is on the rise, gaining fans and accolades, “we haven’t made it yet,” to the point they could afford the out-of-pocket costs. So, they began looking for help.
“The Jeremy Wilson Foundation came to mind, because during Covid, I had gotten a grant from them. And we played one year at the Next Waltz,” The JWF’s premier fundraiser.
Between The JWF and MusiCares, a national organization that also helps musicians with medical issues, Andrea secured $6,000 in grants. Chris Funk connected Andrea with Sweet Relief, a similar national organization, to obtain the remaining money (Read about Chris’s experience with The JWF here).
A unique benefit of The JWF is the presence of a medical social worker – Melanie Bobbett – who volunteers her time helping musicians deal with the bewildering world of health care.
Andrea said, “Melanie was really great. I appreciated how clear she was about my options,” through The JWF. “She was very responsive. I felt like I could always get hold of her. She answered questions really quickly, and she helped get the money to my eye doctor before the surgery.
“I’m so grateful for those organizations. They make it possible for people to pursue a life in the arts. Without them, I don’t know how we’d do it.”
Seeing ahead with Glitterfox. So much has changed for Andrea. Seeing bright colors and noticing textures for the first time in memory, Andrea finds is getting new enjoyment from clothing and decoration. They didn’t realize how much detail they were missing on the guitar – affecting both the joy in playing and the ability to work on set-up.
Even the bubbles in the dishwater seem like a gift, reflecting light and colors. And, “We played Mississippi Studios over the weekend,” Andrea said, “And I could see my friends way at the back of the crowd. I had never been able to do that!”
Since the surgery, Andrea has driven on tours from Canada to Southern Oregon and Idaho and is planning to drive Glitterfox on a coming tour of California.
“We've been releasing new music. We have some new singles out and more are on their way. We’re making music videos.
Andrea has always been a talented, enthusiastic and dedicated musician. These days reveal an extra element – an infectious joy from seeing more beauty in the world and having left beyond the barriers that plagued most of their life.
