A volunteer from Dumfries says she lost her identity and sense of purpose after losing her sight, but has hailed the life-changing local support she has since received.
Morag Faichney now co-runs the monthly sight loss support group in Dumfries for people with a visual impairment, alongside Peter Mitchell.
Ms Faichney, 49, has suffered from retina detachments since 2016, which has reduced her central vision.
She has been a member of the Dumfries support group since it was set up by national sight loss charity the Macular Society in 2022, before becoming a volunteer earlier this year.
She said: “For me, it’s about sharing my experiences with others. I’ve been through all the stages of grief because of my sight, and I know it can be very lonely and isolating. So, to help others and offer a place where we can share laughs, then it gives people something to look forward to.”
Ms Faichney was forced to take early retirement from her job with the Procurator Fiscal Service because of her condition.
She said: “I have gained a lot more confidence since joining the support group and the good thing is we all seem to have kept our sense of humor, which I think in dark situations you need to have, as we’re all in the same boat. We do try to come up with solutions to our problems too, and the challenges that we face.”
She added: “The area is quite rural, so it would be a very lonely world for people if they had to go through this on their own. When I had to take early retirement, I felt as though I had no purpose. You can lose your identity, so I think the group plays such a strong part in giving people back a purpose and their independence.”
The Macular Society oversees the group, which aims to offer information, encouragement and friendship to people who are affected by macular disease and other sight loss conditions.
The group is an opportunity to invite guest speakers on a variety of subjects, including sight loss conditions and their impact on daily lives. The meetings are also social occasions where people can chat over a cup of tea or coffee.
Mr Mitchell, 51, is a former van driver who had to give up his driving licence after he was diagnosed with Keratoconus – a condition affecting his cornea.
It wasn’t until the last few years when he joined another charity support group, which has since disbanded, before the Macular Society started the current group.
“It took me 20 years to get any kind of support really,” he explained. “There was nothing like this at the time, but going to the group now, it’s good for people with sight loss to get together.
“We all speak to one another, people who are at different stages, and chat about what things they are using to help them. It’s about people learning from one another, getting advice and finding new ways of adapting, and sharing stories of how they cope.
“I wanted to keep this group going and helping people with all kinds of sight loss conditions, it’s not just macular. We’re an open group and here to help as many people as we can.”
The Dumfries Macular Support Group meets every fourth Wednesday of the month except January, 11am-12.30pm at St George’s Hall, George Street, Dumfries, DG1 1EG.
While the support group welcomes anybody with a visual impairment, their friends, family and/or carers, macular disease is the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.
Nearly 1.5 million people are currently affected and many more are at risk. The disease can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, leaving them unable to drive, read or see faces. Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similar to bereavement. There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 700,000 people, usually over the age of 50.
For more information about the Dumfries support group, to become a volunteer, or to confirm your attendance for the next support group meeting, please contact Macular Society regional manager Aoife Mooney on 07586 168 803 or email [email protected]
For more information on macular disease, call the Macular Society on 0300 3030 111 or email [email protected]
Our services in Scotland are funded by The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland, we thank the players of the National Lottery who have made it possible for people to access help and support.
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