Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Hello everybody and thanks for reading this.  My name is Helen and I am doing my first 10K just before my 60th birthday.  Never in a million years did I think I would be doing this as I am deafblind - I believe I need to say something about this and how it happened - the top choice seems to be that it is a genetic case and if this is so, I have Usher Syndrome which would account for my deterioration of sight which has almost been a lifetime journey.  However, there were also complications at my birth which resulted in a lack of oxygen, and the Summer I was born held the record, until recently, for being the hottest and longest and I think there was a story there too.  So unfortunately I cannot say with any certainty why I am deafblind, but hopefully this will grab your attention and suffice it to say, that I experience dual sensory impairment - I wear one hearing aid in my right ear and was successfully fitted with a cochlear implant in my left  about 10 years ago and without them, I am unable to hear at all.  My sight is a bit more tricky to talk about and now is almost not very helpful or useful, which has taken a very long time to get this far and created many basic changes throughout  my life  along the way.
So I am very pleased to introduce you to my guide runner Alice who I met at my local Park Run in Stretford where I get a lot of support from other runners and park goers,who  gave me this opportunity to take part for which I am very happy (I think!)it has added to the many challenges that I have faced and taken throughout my life.
Deafblind UK is my nominated charity and I would be so grateful if you would consider giving as it is an area that doesn't get much attention and in this very fast-paced world - maybe it is time to reach out to the next person as you never know ......?