Jack, 27, lives with an eye condition called Optic Atrophy. Jack describes his condition as like having tunnel vision through a small pin hole and he does not have any peripheral vision. Jack lives in Liverpool and is a volunteer at a local school.
As Jack was growing up, by the age of 16, he had become withdrawn, he felt stuck in the house, in his words “I wasn’t doing the normal things that a normal, typical 16-year-old lad would be doing”.
Jack was struggling with mobility due to his sight loss. Jack’s Mum first reached out to Guide Dogs to enquire whether he would be able to get a guide dog.
At 17, Jack qualified with Henry, his first guide dog. Jack loved his partnership with Henry, but sadly, guide dog Henry passed away in 2022. This period of time was incredibly difficult for Jack, the independence that Henry had provided Jack with was suddenly taken away, along with the companionship they shared.
Jack needed some support to get him back out in the community. He waited for about 18 months to get a new guide dog, this felt like a lifetime of waiting.
At the start of this time without a dog, Jack felt like he had gone backwards, it was very similar to being 16 again.
Guide Dogs kept in touch with Jack and provided support through their Vision Rehabilitation Service. Matt, a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist based in Liverpool, got Jack back out in the community again. He worked with Jack to provide the skills needed to live his life, without a dog by his side temporarily.
Speaking about the service received from his Vision Rehabilitation Specialist, Jack says:
“I can’t fault Matt, the training he provided was amazing. Matt got me back on my feet again. I wouldn’t have got back out if it wasn’t for the support of the VRS and the cane training. Matt was very helpful; his sessions were practical and hands on. I was able to cope with it as they were manageable, in bite size chunks for an hour at a time over the period of a few months.
“I work as volunteer in a school, it was important to me to be able to continue with this. I had to slow down a lot without a dog, the cane training picked me back up again and enabled me to continue living my life.”
The intervention provided by Guide Dogs during the time Jack was without a dog was critical to his mobility, mental health, and general wellbeing. Jack was able to carry on living his life the way he wanted to, being able to get out in the community was a high priority. Jack says: “None of this could have happened without the professional staff and support provided by Guide Dogs.”
Jack recently qualified with Breeze, his second guide dog, they are doing well together and they love each other’s company. Hopefully, they will have a long and happy partnership together, as Jack did with his first dog. Jack now lives with enhanced confidence, knowing that Guide Dogs will be there to provide support for any situation that arises in the future.
