Two of our local Balbriggan/North Co Dublin volunteers are husband and wife Andy and Jade. They have a beautiful daughter Sádhbh who is 2 years old. Jade is visually impaired since birth due to optic nerve damage and uses a white cane when out and about. She explains ‘I have limited vision, mainly shadows, and a little colour but not enough to read a full page of print’. Andy, is blind, uses a white cane now as his guide dog Nico retired last year. He is on a waiting list to be matched and trained with a new guide dog when a suitable partnership is found. Before the arrival of Sádhbh, Jade worried if she would know when her daughter was sick or feeling unwell. She didn’t need to worry as her maternal instincts kicked in and as Jade says, ‘I just know’. When Sádhbh was teething, Jade felt that her daughter also had an upset stomach. A visit to the Doctor confirmed Jade was correct, it was a stomach bug. Before Sádhbh was born her parents worried she might be visually impaired as well. Thankfully Sadhbh ‘can see a needle in a haystack’ according to Jade and knows how to show her mother or father something by placing their hand on it. Early on Sádhbh worked out that Andy couldn’t see her and would hide under the table or chair when he called her. The past two years have been very busy for the family, and they have recently moved house. We wish them happiness and success in all they do.

Preparations for Guide Dog Day on Friday 27th May are underway. Please help us raise funds for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Ask your family and friends to sponsor you and challenge yourself to walk, run, swim or dance 100k during the month of May. Or think up your own challenge, bake 100 cakes, read 100 books, write 100 letters, take 100 photographs. We’d love to hear your challenge, phone/text us on 085 766 3107 or email GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com. Or please contact us on Facebook at facebook.com/Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs.