9 minute read
FEATURE
Hannah having fun with her son, on holiday with her daughter and with her fiancé Charli
Hannah’s vision for good
Hannah Burgess is a motivated 25-year-old with a fiancé and two beautiful children. Like many of us, she is working hard to achieve her life goals, except that Hannah is having to find her way while dealing with vision problems. But more than that, she is working as a force for good – helping others dealing with similar issues. Sammy Jones spoke with the inspirational lady.
Hannah was diagnosed with albinism at just a few months old, a condition where there is little or no production of the pigment melanin, which colours
skin and hair.
Vision impairment is a common feature in cases of albinism. Hannah was confirmed to have nystagmus, which causes involuntary, repetitive movement of the eyes, when she was six-years-old.
Initially, medical professionals failed to spot the symptoms, and instead decided that she must be inventing tales.
“My mum was told that because I was young, the way I was describing seeing things was likely because I was imagining it and making it up.”
A trip to specialist Moorfields Eye Hospital in London put paid to that train of thought, when the renowned centre quickly diagnosed Hannah.
Like anyone considered ‘different’ she was singled out and bullied at school, but with the rock solid support of family and friends, Hannah rose above – and now she is using her voice to help others.
She runs the video blog and TikTok site Blind Mum Vs the World, replacing ignorance with fact, and showing that while sight issues are a disability, they don’t need to hold you back.
“I’ve had negativity around my vision my whole life. It was a lot worse when I was at school, it has settled down a bit now, but people are very closed off about it,” she admits, “I would much rather be able to give advice and confidence to the person who is visually impaired and has to deal with that. Then you are able to work through it a lot better.
“I would sit down and try to educate, but some people are so stubborn and ignorant and they don’t want to hear what you have to say. Sometimes you have to learn other ways to deal with it and to understand that you are better than that.
“People are mean, and a lot of the time there’s not a great deal you can do about it.”
But as a parent, you have a responsibility to teach your children right from wrong. It’s a basic requirement - and that includes treating people with kindness.
“Kids are naturally very curious and are going to ask questions,” Hannah says, “If my daughter sees someone who looks different, she will ask why they are that way. Kids accept what you say because they don’t know any different.
“If my daughter were to see someone with a wheelchair, for example, she knows they have that because they might not be able to walk very well. Obviously that is a very simple take on the situation, but she knows it’s there to help and that it’s not a bad thing.
“A lot of what people show in being ableist is learned behaviour...”
Hannah’s online presence, which she launched during lockdown, is building nicely and making a real difference. More and more, people are coming to her for advice.
“I’ve had a lot of messages from mums whose children are at school, or are about to start school and they want to know what support is out there for their child.
“I’ve also had a large number of people who are visually impaired and expecting. To be able to give them advice and support them through their pregnancy, and address the concerns they have for when their baby arrives, is amazing. I didn’t have anyone I could speak to who was visually impaired when I was pregnant.”
Earlier this month, her dedication to helping others was recognised when the content creator made the shortlist for the Woman of the Year 2022 Trailblazer Award with ITV morning show, Lorraine.
It was further validation and appreciation for what she’s doing – smashing down barriers and making a difference.
“It’s so overwhelming. I’ve always been the sort of person to put other people before myself, it’s just something I’ve always done, and it gives me so much joy to know that the people who follow me feel supported.”
She tells me that she gave a talk to visually impaired students at a local school and one of the students realised for the first time, having listened to Hannah, that she could one day achieve her dream of being a mum. Until that point, she never thought it would be possible.
“I well up every time I think about that,” she says, and her voice quietens just a little.
Hannah juggles looking after her five-yearold daughter and a two-and-a-half year old son while running a household, and working as a food and beverage supervisor at a local golf course.
She simply doesn’t have time to spend hours pondering what to share online.
“In some ways it is a bad thing, but I don’t plan my content too much – I’m always busy. I don’t have the time to sit down and write what I am going to say and when I am going to post it.
“When I wake up I just post whatever I am thinking about that day, and go with the flow.”
Hannah’s disability doesn’t define her, she just lives with it. But it did mean that her dream job with the army could never be realised.
“When I was growing up I was an Army Cadet and I loved it so much,” she tells me, “It lit a fire in me. I wanted to be a Royal Signal.
“When I realised I couldn’t join the army I was gutted, but it’s not the sort of thing they can adjust for and I completely understand that, with my eyesight the way it is.”
Of course she will never hold a driving licence either. But really, when it comes to other limitations, it’s a case of ‘What other limitations?’
“People often expect those who are visually impaired not to do much or to be very independent, which is another reason to show that there are so many people who have very busy, hectic, highly functional lifestyles.”
By the time you read this, Hannah’s family should have swelled by one more – with the arrival of her new guide dog Eddie, who is in training when we speak.
Eddie’s predecessor retired 18 months ago, so while Hetty still lives with the family, Hannah has been without her four-legged aide in a working capacity.
“We’re very lucky to still have Hetty, and because of the age I was when I had her, she has done all of the big things in life so far; my GCSEs, moving out, first job, fiancé, buying a house, having a baby. As I’ve grown up, she has come with me.”
Hannah first qualified as a guide dog handler aged just 13, which made her the youngest in the country. Eddie will increase confidence and make life a whole lot easier for Hannah, and followers of Blind Mum Vs the World will be seeing plenty more of this new pooch in the coming months.
“There is so much guide dog content coming!” she promises, “I was very young when I got my first dog, Rory, and he taught me how to be independent and made me realise I could do things on my own.
“Having a guide dog since then has really been about maintaining that – giving me the confidence to remind myself I can do it.”
And if you are struggling with a vision impairment, she wants you to know that you can do it, too.
Hannah with Hetty
> Follow Hannah: FB: BlindMumVsTheWorld.x TikTok: @blindmumvstheworld
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