A Renfrewshire veteran has led his ‘Daredevils’ team on a 22.7-mile walk to say thank you to Sight Scotland Veterans for all the life-changing support it has provided.
Tom Smith, a former submariner in the Royal Navy, went for a routine eye test in 2020 which highlighted a retinal degeneration problem.
Further investigations throughout the year resulted in Tom being diagnosed with a genetic condition that would leave him blind in a few short years.
The 34-year-old has retinal dystrophy – a group of rare, inherited diseases that damage the retina – causing progressive and severe loss of vision.
Since 2020, Tom, from Bishopton, has been medically discharged from the Navy and also lost his driving license due to his vision impairment – and with that, a lot of his independence.
Tom has been supported through all of this by Sight Scotland Veterans, whose support he describes as “life changing”.
And to give back to the charity, Tom took part in the Kiltwalk at the weekend and he and his team have so far raised over £1,800 for the lifeline organisation.
Tom told the Express:“The idea for the Kiltwalk came from wanting to give something back, to show our appreciation for all the great help we have received. Our team, the Daredevils, which is made up of myself, Katie and our friends Joanne and Jason Botterill, want as many people as possible to know about Sight Scotland Veterans and all the fantastic help they have given me.
“None of us are big walkers so it was quite a challenge and we managed to lose some weight with all the training – but it was all
worth it.
“The money we have managed to raise for the charity has been fantastic. We blew our initial target out the water!”
Sight Scotland Veterans supports veterans living with significant sight loss. Their support equips people with the skills to rediscover and maintain their independence and to improve their quality of life. Tom added: “I cannot thank Sight Scotland Veterans enough for everything they have done for me.
“The support they have given to both my wife, Katie, and I has been quite literally life-changing and I honestly do not know where we would be without it.
“My diagnosis obviously came as a big shock and there was a huge number of adjustments to be made as our life was going to change dramatically.
“I think the biggest thing the charity helped us both with was our mental health.
“The diagnosis came as a big shock, and we initially felt very isolated and alone, and didn’t really know what to do. I was forced to retire from the Navy, give up driving and a lot of my independence, and suddenly I had to rely on other people’s help much more.
“Most importantly, hey showed us we were not alone, and that life goes on.”
If you would like to back the Daredevils and donate to Sight Scotland Veterans, please visit their fundraising page.
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