‘I thought life wasn’t worth living when I became visually impaired but now it has given me a new lease of life’

Jean Hales, 74, has optic nerve damage and no central vision, along with Dry Eye Syndrome, but the cause was still being investigated and she was really struggling mentally.

Jean had had lots of plans for her retirement which she felt were no longer possible, and she found this very hard to come to terms with. Her mental wellbeing was suffering, and this had been exacerbated due to prolonged periods of lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Having previously been a very sociable person, Jean had found herself barely leaving the house as she had completely lost her confidence due to her eyesight problems.

Fortunately, Wakefield District Sight Aid (WDSA), a local charity in Wakefield offered her support.

Sight loss advisor Nicola Ford visited Jean at home.

Nicola said: “I issued various pieces of equipment to support her – tactile markers to help her use her household appliances more easily, a liquid level indicator to enable her to make hot drinks safely, high contrast stickers for her computer keyboard to help her with online tasks, and a device on which to play talking books as Jean was struggling with printed materials.”

Jean agreed that she would benefit from the social groups and trips offered by the charity and, having discussed the Living Well with Sight Loss course, she decided to book on to it. Living Well with Sight Loss is a confidence-building course developed by national charity RNIB, for which Wakefield District Sight Aid is a delivery partner.

Jean attended the two-day face to face course in September 2021. SHe said: “I found it hard walking into the room full of people, as I hadn’t socialised for so long and didn’t know anyone else there. However, as soon as I relaxed and I enjoyed chatting to others in the group once I realised they were facing similar challenges to me. I was delighted to discover that another

member of the group was actually an old friend from years ago.”

Jean found the confidence to share her journey with the rest of the group.

“It was very therapeutic,” she said.

Following the course, Jean has now become an active part of Wakefield District Sight

Aid’s social events, attending coffee mornings and the Christmas lunch as well as getting involved with a range of other groups.

Jean said: “With WDSA I feel valued and supported. I am not alone.

“It has given me a new lease of life, I have a very different life now but I love it.”

Jean’s son Ben Hales, who runs with the Danum Harriers Running Club in Doncaster, is now running the London Marathon as a thank you for the support of WDSA, the charity which has helped his mum.

He said: “For such a special occasion I wanted to raise money for an amazing charity, Wakefield District Sight Aid. They’ve been a massive help to my mum Jean, whose vision has deteriorated in the last few years.

“They’re a friendly team who offer emotional and practical support for those with sight loss. “Their Living Well with Sight Loss course was a turning point for my mum, who was at a really low point in her life.”

You can sponsor Ben via his Facebook page here, or by contacting Wakefield District Sight Aid.