1 minute read
Experiencing sight loss - my story
When 28-year-old Abi Shaw experienced sight loss which began during pregnancy, she thought her dreams of working for the ambulance service were over. Fast forward seven years and Abi now works in our Manchester Emergency Operations Centre as an emergency medical dispatcher, all with the help of her trusty Guide Dog, Rachel.
Always being very active and a keen driver, Abi began experiencing headaches during her pregnancy and after months of agonising waits, tests and appointments she was advised that her eyesight was deteriorating and she had very little peripheral vision.
As her eyesight deteriorated further during her second pregnancy, Abi was registered partially sighted meaning that she had to face her toughest obstacle to date, giving up her driving licence.
The months that followed were extremely difficult for Abi as she adjusted to life with limited vision: “I began white cane training around my local estate. Everyone began to stare and talk and I just burst into tears, I couldn’t cope with it and suffered with severe depression.
“After two years I thought, you know what I’m not going to let this defeat me.
“We moved house and I began my cane training again, much to the joy of my son who thought the cane was a toy sword! I did struggle with the cane, especially while pushing the pram, so my trainer told me I would be better with a guide dog.”
After months of assessments and training, Guide Dog Rachel came bounding into Abi’s life in January 2020 and she has never looked back. In March she was over the moon to have been offered a position at the ambulance service.
“Everyone was so helpful and understanding, Rachel is absolutely spoilt here at NWAS. She gets so excited when she sees me getting my uniform ready for work. I am just so happy at how everyone has welcomed us onto the team.
“I have break buddies to help with making hot food and one of my lovely colleagues kindly gives us a lift saving me a two hour pubic transport journey. I do love my work family!”
