Lydia

Lydia, 14 has been supported by Vista for the past 18 months, after being referred to us after an appointment at the hospital after being registered sight impaired.

Her father has Retinitis Pigmentosa. Lydia was seen at the hospital when she was very young and was told everything was ok and there was no sign of this condition.

A few years passed and Lydia was walking into things and having difficulty adjusting to light changes, but then at other times they appeared fine.

At the start of the pandemic, Lydia went to the hospital with her parents and was told she has Rod Cone Dystrophy which means she has night blindness, difficulty adjusting to light changes and very narrow peripheral vision. Due to the pandemic, hospital visits were very difficult and the family felt very alone. After support from the peadiatric eye clinic liaison officers, this allowed Lydia to access other Vista services.

Lydia’s first interaction with Vista was through the Young People’s zoom meetings throughout lockdown. Her mother said:

"Lydia really enjoyed being involved and I could see her confidence growing." When they could meet face to face, we joined the group to the bowling alley. She started chatting and making friends immediately, which she doesn’t normally do, so this was brilliant.

Her parent’s said “Having the support of Vista, I know we are not alone. Not only do we have the support from the team, but there are also other parents to chat with and get advice from them too. I feel so much happier knowing Lydia now has the support she needs.”

To find out more, visit our help for children and young people page.