“Improving people’s quality of life with macular disease should be prioritised”

Improving the quality of people’s lives with macular disease is the goal for a son who has completed a 30-mile walking challenge in memory of his dad.

Paul returned to the Wirral, where he grew up, to complete the Birkenhead to New Brighton challenge.

His dad Brian had passed away three years ago, and had been diagnosed with macular disease in his later years.

Recalling how it affected his dad, Paul said: “He had other health conditions which meant he was housebound and not very mobile but once his vision started to be badly affected, indoor tasks became so much harder for him. He found it hard to read, to watch TV and all that stuff he found so frustrating.

“He had always been a very practical person, a very hands-on person. If anything needed fixing, dad would’ve fix it. Any DIY job, or if the kids toys was broken he would always give it a go. But he had such an interesting sense of humor, and he was very much a family man.”

Fundraising to find new breakthroughs

Paul does not want to see others endure a restricted period in their life, which was one of his main ambitions through fundraising. He said: “In an ideal world, it would be great if there was a cure, but anything that can improve existing treatments is important too. It comes down to quality of life, so if we can improve the quality of life for someone living with macular disease, that should be prioritised.”

He previously climbed Mount Snowden and was keen to complete the Wirral walking challenge to raise more awareness and fundraise for the Macular Society, with his partner Stephen. The couple have raised £810 which will be shared with the British Heart Foundation in memory of Stephen’s nephew, Aaron.

A family affair

They completed the circular walk in 12 hours and were joined by other members of Paul’s family along the way as they took in the Liverpool skyline, views across North Wales and the Irish sea.

Paul said: “We chose this route in particular because I grew up on the Wirral, it’s where my dad knew and moved to before I was born, so it was combining that with raising money for charity. I was shattered in the end, but it was great to be able to complete it.

“Most of my family still live in the area and with their kids and dogs, they joined us for different stretches of the walk. Whether they were with us for half an hour or an hour, that was really important for us because actually without them it would have been a lot harder. It was really nice to have that support.

"A massive thank you"

“I'd just say a massive thank you for all the support we’ve received. It’s unbelievable because we smashed our fundraising target and we had such an amount of support and messages. It was amazing really, awesome that people could support us in this way.”

Online donations can be made to Paul and Stephen’s JustGiving page, or make a one-off donation directly through the Macular Society.