A young boy whose eyesight is slowly being lost has become an inspiration to the rest of us after raising thousands of Pounds for Guide Dogs. 12-year-old Corey Allenby hopes he can help other people who are also losing their sight after being diagnosed with a genetic disorder known as Retinitis Pigmentosa which is a condition that results in the death of the retinal cells at the back of the eye. Corey is currently registered as being partially blind but his sight has been so impaired that he no longer has peripheral vision and is totally night blind which means he cannot see at all after the sun goes down.
Refuses to let his disease get the better of him
Corey has so far raised £2,866 for Guide Dogs and has also refused to allow his disease get the better of him. He has mastered level five braille and has also learned how to use a cane as well as been trained in the use of a buddy dog. When Corey met his first buddy dog from Guide Dogs, he was inspired to raise money for the organisation because he was so impressed with the dog’s training and intelligence which has resulted in the improvement of so many visually impaired lives throughout the country.
Putting on events
Corey along with the help of his family and their friends put on a number of events including a special fun day and a sponsored walk. Corey’s sister also participated in a sponsored dance-a-thon, raising close to £3,000 all of which went to Guide Dogs. Corey says he is incredibly pleased to have raised so much money for a charity he thinks is completely amazing. He adds that it did take a lot of work to put everything together but he received support from family, friends and even his school.
Making a difference
The money raised by Corey will be used to train a young guide dog and Corey will be able to keep track of its progress through regular updates. Amy Petterson a fund raiser for Guide Dogs says the work Corey has done and the amount of money he has raised for the charity is a remarkable achievement. Corey has also been helping the visually impaired in other ways, his mum set up a Facebook page for him which she says has made a huge difference because he has been speaking to parents all over the world with children who have a similar condition to his and wish to know what to expect. Retinitis Pigmentosa affects an estimated 1 in every 4000 people, and is passed on by mutated genes.
