'Having a guide dog has been a gamechanger'

A woman, who is registered blind, has said getting a guide dog has been a "gamechanger" for her life and has brought her new confidence.

Lorna Davies, 36, said she used to "fold up" her cane and "pretend she was ok", but "you can't do that with a dog".

It was her husband who applied on her behalf to be partnered with a dog by the Guide Dogs charity because she had been "anxious" and struggled to accept she needed one.

Lorna, from Darlington, was teamed up with Yarren in 2020 and conceded "it was the best thing [my husband] could've done for me".

Lorna was born with nystagmus and optic atrophy, but her sight became worse during pregnancy about 10 years ago and it is continuing to decline.

She said Yarren had brought her independence and she was more confident when she went out.

"With a cane, you've got to look down and really focus, but with a harness and a little dog, you just have to hold a handle and say the right things - I fully trust him," she said.

"I used to be so shy, but I think my shyness was because of my unaccepting of my sight loss, I blended into the background," she said.

"Before, I would fold my cane up and put it under my arm, pretend I was okay - but you can't do that with a dog."

Previously, Lorna could see well enough to get around without the use of a cane or guide dog, but she said she could now only see shapes and colours.

"I was a bit anxious about initially applying for a guide dog, I had a big problem accepting I needed one - it felt like a big step," she said.

But then, she said her husband completed the application on her behalf, which prompted her to react: "Why did you do that?"

"But it was the best thing he could've done for me, having Yarren has been a gamechanger," she said.

She is urging anyone with the same anxieties about it to try overcome them.

Since being partnered with Yarren, Lorna said the way she approaches day-to-day life has changed, with her now able to take her children places by herself - including her son who has the same visual disabilities.

"I didn't expect to have this reassurance off him. Having him gave me confidence," she added.

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