"The thought of losing my sight is such a daunting prospect”

Julie, 42, was diagnosed with macular disease in her early 20s and assumed it would be a long time before her eye sight started to deteriorate.

“I had been so blasé about being diagnosed with macular disease, due to not having any symptoms for such a long time. I just assumed nothing would change until I was ‘older’ – in my 60s at the earliest,” she said.

“But as my symptoms have been changing, it has frightened me. I’ve had difficulty looking at anything with straight lines on for a while as they distort, and just recently I’ve started to have the same problems with people’s faces. The thought of losing my sight and not being able to do basic everyday things without assistance is such a daunting prospect.”

Before she was diagnosed Julie had never heard of macular disease and was given very little information about her condition.

Recently she found the Macular Society while researching on the internet and is keen to raise funds and awareness.

In September she will be taking place in the Great North Run in support of others living with the condition, and those unable to take on the challenge themselves.

“There must be lots of people out there who would love to be able do it and can’t, so I decided I was going to do it for them,” she said.

On her JustGiving Page