Two of my three sons have been diagnosed now too

“I was diagnosed when I was eight years old. My mum has it and my grandma had it as well. I started struggling with my central vision about four years ago. Everyday things became more and more difficult, like cooking and making tea. I went back to the doctor and at the time I was learning to drive. But the doctor told me to stop my driving lessons and said I wouldn’t get a licence with my vision.

“It has a massive impact now. It affects nearly everything. It can be something stupid like cutting yourself when you’re chopping an onion. Something that should be a really normal task. You think ‘I should be able to do that’.

“And the worst of it is, two of my three sons have been diagnosed now too. They both have macular disease, just like their mum. They both want to be pilots, just like their dad. And that’s the one job they definitely won’t be able to do unless a cure is found. It is heartbreaking.