Andy’s story

Andy, a Sight Life member, is a keen photographer and is active in several of our social groups, but he wasn’t always this way. Sight Life has transformed his confidence and allowed him to rediscover his passions after his sight loss diagnosis.

One morning in April 2006, Andy was driving in work when he discovered that the letters on signposts were blurry or missing so he visited his local optician and within 5 minutes he was told that he had glaucoma and Andy’s life was turned upside down. Glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged. This is usually caused by fluid building up in the front part of the eye which increases pressure inside the eye. Andy was sent straight to hospital for confirmation, but it didn’t seem real to him yet, and he was more concerned about watching the FA Cup game on the TV that afternoon!

By July, Andy was taking more and more time off work due to hospital appointments and became increasingly depressed. He was worried about his future employment and how his diagnosis would affect his daily life. He had little communication with his employer, which was extremely concerning for him. Appointments with occupational health and his doctor only worried him further, saying, “I slipped down into a hole and my wife couldn’t pull me out; it felt like the end of the world for me”. He suffered with depression and didn’t leave the house for 10 years. He was unable to go out anywhere on his own due to his concerns about the dangers of traffic, the difficulty of using public transport or being in crowded areas, but that all changed when Sight Life came into his life.

Discovering Sight Life

Andy’s wife, Mandy, reached out to Sight Life, which was then Cardiff Institute for the Blind. She knew Andy needed support with mobility cane training and help around the house. Andy felt like he couldn’t do anything on his own and he struggled with his independence and confidence. Our Operations Manager, Michelle Jones, visited his home and helped him access the help he needed.

She invited Andy to a Tea & Chat session the following week as an introduction to Sight Life and our services. Andy says he “instantly felt at home” with the other members who had sight conditions. Sight Life’s activities are so valuable to our members who struggle to get out of the house and socialise with their peers.

Finding Photography Again

Until Sight Life, Andy hadn’t thought about continuing any hobbies. He wasn’t in the right state of mind following several stressful hospital appointments and operations.

Michelle asked what Andy enjoyed doing, and instantly, photography came to mind. Andy thought it would be impossible to take up photography again – he had never seen a blind person take photographs before! But Michelle knew this wouldn’t be a barrier.

With her help, Andy started the photography group at Sight Life. Now, it is very well-established and has 8 members who specialise in several different areas of photography.

Zooming In

Andy specialises in macro photography, which is a style of close-up photography of objects which you can’t see with the naked eye.

He researched dedicated macro lenses to pursue his passion. He says it’s “unbelievable” what images he can create! Andy used to enjoy landscape photography, but after his sight loss, he discovered that he could still take part in photography and continue with his passion. He particularly enjoys creating waterdrop macro images, and has a long list of other macro projects he aims to do in the future.

Photography Exhibitions

Some of his photographs have recently been exhibited in Waterloo Tea in Wyndham Arcade, Cardiff.  He says,“to get to that stage from just a few years ago, it’s hard to believe!”. As a photography group they have now had exhibitions in several venues across Cardiff, from the Museum and the library hubs of St Mellons, Whitchurch and Rhiwbina to The School of Optometry in Cardiff University, which he describes as particularly “poignant” in marking his progress with managing his sight loss. The photography Group also have further exhibitions booked for later in the year.

Life after Sight Life

Before Michelle, Andy said his “confidence was in the gutter” – now, he is in such a different place. Sight Life helped Andy get back into something he genuinely loved to do and also provided his wife with the support she needed to help someone with sight loss. As Andy says, “Sight Life changed my life”.

Andy has now become a volunteer because he wanted to give back some help in return for everything that Sight Life has done for him.

Andy’s story proves how valuable Sight Life’s work is to our most isolated members. Sight Life knows how vital it is that blind and partially sighted people are able to socialise and feel included. If you or anyone you know might be feeling isolated, please do reach out to us.