A mother of two children is slated to share her experience of living with an inherited sight loss condition in a television appeal for a national charity.
Bhavini Makwana was diagnosed with the inherited retinal condition retinitis pigmentosa aged 17 and will speak about her condition in the BBC Lifeline Appeal for Retina UK, due to be broadcast on Sunday, 26 July 2020.
An Ambassador for Retina UK, she now dedicates her time to empowering others with inherited sight loss to grow their confidence and live independent lives. In a statement she said,
“I really enjoyed being part of the filming and it was great to be able to give something back to the charity that has made such a difference for me.
“At first I hid my sight loss because I felt ashamed and didn’t want to be labelled disabled and worried about what my extended family and community would think. This left me depressed and isolated. The support I received from Retina UK helped me find my inner confidence and realise I could still achieve my ambitions. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I started to live again.”
“It’s a fantastic charity and volunteering for them enables me to help others which is really rewarding.”
For 15 years Bhavini was unable to accept her sight loss and hid it from those around her. But with the support of her family and Retina UK, she has come to terms with her visual impairment and made many positive changes to her life. She received support from Retina UK’s helpline and attended the charity’s information events and support group meetings.
Bhavini works for London Vision and travels independently on public transport with the support of her guide dog, Colin.
She has previously organised charity fundraising events for Retina UK to help reach those from the Asian Community who maybe experiencing sight loss.
In addition to providing support services, Retina UK funds research into inherited sight loss and has invested more than £16 million into the search for causes and treatments in its 43 year history.
