AN 86-year-old Rubery woman said she was determined to live her life to the full and continue her much-loved hobby of dancing after being told she was losing her sight.
Valda Johnston was diagnosed with macular degeneration disease, the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, over a decade ago.
She has been registered sight impaired but despite the barriers of living with a visual impairment, Mrs Johnston has continued to lead an active lifestyle, notably through sequence dancing. And it is mostly thanks to the support she has received from a local sight loss group.
With dancing her hobby for many years, the grandmother said: “My sight loss hasn’t stopped me, I think once you know how to dance, you just do it, don’t you?
“You don’t need your eyes to learn to dance, you just have to listen to the music and listen to the instructor.
“If you are learning a new dance you might bump into someone occasionally, but it’s more a mistake in the routine.
“I can still make out people are there, just not see the finer details. It’s an outlet, it’s something to stop you from sitting at home, just go and mix with people, and keep yourself active.”
Mrs Johnston also attends the Macular Society Barnt Green support group, which helps local people who live with sight loss and meets on last Friday of the month.
She was a volunteer for the group for more than a decade, where she has found the help and encouragement from others vital.
“It’s nice to go and talk to other people who are in the same position as you – you help each other by giving tips, so maybe I can do things one way or somebody else has found a different way of doing things, which can help you as well.
“Everybody’s cheerful and our group leader is very good, very helpful if I’m concerned about anything.
“I went there at first to help make the tea and I ended up just staying there for the support, to help others and that’s what it’s all about.”
For more information about the Barnt Green support group or to become a volunteer, contact the support group leader Wendy Pepper on 0121 445 1585.
