Ann in Challenge t-shirt looking victorious

‘Inspirational’ Ann, 99, sets out to complete marathon walking challenge

Posted: Wednesday 5 April 2023

An inspirational 99-year-old is celebrating her milestone year by walking the equivalent distance of a marathon around her local running track in a bid to help beat macular disease.

Find out more

Pam

Treatment delays – “It’s vitally important to speak out”

Posted: Wednesday 5 April 2023

Stories of delays to vital treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been hitting the headlines over the last few weeks. While the news is concerning for many people affected, Pam, who was diagnosed with wet AMD in 2021, has shared why she has spoken out about her own experiences to the national press and why she would encourage others to do the same.

Find out more

Emma and Jan in Macular Society t-shirts

“I wanted to do something to challenge myself”

Posted: Friday 31 March 2023

A grandmother of four with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) will be taking on her first-ever marathon this month, at the age of 70.

Find out more

Beverley Chow holding baby

"People don’t consider that there will be a life after diagnosis"

Posted: Wednesday 1 March 2023

Beverley has been a Macular Society counsellor for more than 20 years. In this time she has spoken to hundreds of people struggling to come to terms with the life-changing diagnosis of macular disease.

Find out more

Audrey Drage holding quilt

“There’s a way around everything if you’re determined”

Posted: Friday 17 February 2023

Keen knitter Audrey has described achieving her proudest piece of work, as she has proved there is no reason to let her sight loss stand in the way of her passion.

Find out more

Vera wearing a blue jumper standing in her garden

“I noticed when new people joined, they would come with so much fear in their eyes”

Posted: Wednesday 1 February 2023

Vera became a Macular Society group leader a few years after her late husband Peter was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Find out more

Denise Lewis smiling at camera

"It's only now that I have seen the impact macular disease has on people"

Posted: Friday 20 January 2023

A retired ophthalmic nurse said it wasn’t until she began to volunteer with her local support group that she realised the true impact of macular disease and the impact it has on many people’s lives.

Find out more

Margaret Hughes smiling in living room, reading on sofa

“I didn’t know how many people were like me”

Posted: Wednesday 21 December 2022

Like many others who are diagnosed with macular disease, Margaret had no idea what the condition was and how many others were affected but, after experiencing the fear and isolation of her condition first hand, the 79-year-old wanted to help others in need of support.

Find out more

Polly smiling

“You’ve never lived until you’ve seen a floating crocodile”

Posted: Wednesday 16 November 2022

From a reptile gliding overhead to being offered beer by a woman dressed in lederhosen, Polly has seen her fair share of weird, wonderful and sometimes frightening things, from the comfort of her bedroom.

Find out more

Christina Ellis (Headshot)

“A befriender can help in so many ways”

Posted: Tuesday 1 November 2022

“I knew the impact that macular degeneration could have on people. I think the biggest sadness was that I was given that diagnosis, and then left without any real support, any information. So, from that day on, I decided I was going to make people aware of macular degeneration."

Find out more

Jessica Smiling

“Everyone wants to be special, but medically special is the one kind of special no one wants to be”

Posted: Monday 31 October 2022

At first it was just things like not being able to read the TV guide, or struggling with text messages on my phone. I couldn’t see the bus numbers until the bus was almost on top of me. I would look at people walking down the street and think they were strange looking, until the next person looked the same. I’m a working mum and thought I was probably just tired."

Find out more

Peter Jones with Meryl Streep

"We want people to carry on doing what they love"

Posted: Tuesday 18 October 2022

From Meryl Streep to Mo Farah, drawing celebrity portraits has long been a passion of Macular Society group member Peter, who says living with a macular condition doesn’t have to mean giving up something you love.

Find out more