A VISUALLY impaired runner from Frome said his hobby has helped him maintain a positive attitude as he lives with the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.
Marly Brudenell was diagnosed with macular disease late last year but last month he completed the Longleat 10k which he described as a “great run in a beautiful place” – all in aid of a leading sight charity which has supported him.
The Macular Society is a charity which supports people with a macular condition across the UK. Marly is part of the Macular Society Frome support group, the local arm which brings people together living with sight loss. Along with the loss of central vision, macular disease is incurable and can have a devastating impact on other aspects of people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Like many people, Marly did not know about macular disease until he was diagnosed but he’s not let it stop him from doing what he enjoys, having just completed his third 10k run alongside his guide, Sally Williams.
Marly said, “For some time I had been reading up on sight loss because I knew something was wrong with my eyesight. But I’m managing in a reasonably positive way and discovering you can lead a normal life with it and people have been really supportive.
“I’ve liked running for a long time and for me, that’s helped me with my eye condition and when I started going to macular support group meetings, I decided I wanted to do something to help raise some funds for the Society.”
Marly had raised £370 through online donations at the time of writing, money which will be split between the Frome group and wider research, which the Society funds every year.
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 600,000 people, usually over the age of 50.
Marly said, “There are high hopes for improvements and maybe therapies to help people with macular disease. As always, a lot more money is needed to investigate possible treatments but even so, it’s important to make more people aware of this and to make people’s lives more accessible at the same time. That can never be a bad thing.”
Donate to Marly’s efforts here: https://bit.ly/3RpJ99l
The Macular Society Frome support group meets on the third Wednesday of every month, between 10am to 12pm at the cricket club, Rodden Road, BA11 2AH.
Do you have macular disease, or know a friend or family member who does, and would benefit from joining the Frome support group? To find out more or to become a volunteer, contact the Frome group leader Nicky Gardener on 01373 302 749, 07801 892147 or email ngardener@hotmail .co.uk
For more information about the other services available from the Macular Society please call 0300 3030 111 or email help@macularsociety.org
