When Janet Gray lost her sight to glaucoma at 21, it was the end of her life as she knew it. But she was determined not to let blindness hold her back.
And she went on to become a four-time World Disabled Waterskiing Champion, before retiring to have a successful career as a city councillor, and a high-profile role with the police service.
“I might have lost my sight but I didn’t lose my vision,” says Janet, 50.
She was a teenager when her father and younger brother both lost their vision to glaucoma, which damages the optic nerve.
“It wasn’t traceable in the family anywhere so it was a bolt out of the blue,” she says.
Then when she was 19, she started to notice her own vision blurring and was also diagnosed, losing her sight two years later.
“It felt as though my life had ended. It was traumatic because I suddenly felt vulnerable, even in my own home.
“It took time to come to terms with it. I lost two stone and was constantly sick because I’d lost so much weight.”
This story is from the April 06, 2021 edition of Daily Mirror.
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This story is from the April 06, 2021 edition of Daily Mirror.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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