(Image: GUIDE DOGS)
A Darlington mum says her guide dog has transformed family life and given her the confidence to enjoy precious days out with her son that once felt impossible.
Lorna Davies was born with nystagmus and optic atrophy but spent much of her life trying not to let her sight loss define her.
The 36-year-old said: “When I was growing up, I didn’t really class myself as disabled. I guess because, to me, my eyes were normal.
“I always had this desperation not to be different. I just didn’t want to stick out in any way.”
After becoming a mother, her eyesight deteriorated, leaving her reliant on others and reluctant to leave the house alone.
Then came a turning point.
Shortly before her son Rex's first birthday, he was diagnosed with the same eye conditions as his mum.
The diagnosis forced Lorna to confront her own sight loss and seek support.
She said: “After Rex's diagnosis, I realised I needed to help him have a better experience than me.
“I realised that pretending not to have sight loss wasn't healthy.
"I thought, ‘This is my moment to embrace my disability.’
After learning to use a long cane, Lorna was partnered with guide dog Yarren in 2020. She calls it one of the best decisions she has ever made.
“When I've got Yarren's harness in my hand, and him next to me, it just feels like freedom,” she said.
That freedom has given Lorna the everyday moments of motherhood she once thought were out of reach.
School runs, soft-play trips and family outings are now part of everyday life, but one moment stands out.
During the summer holidays, Lorna took Rex to the cinema alone for the first time.
She had assumed she would always need help to do it.
She said: “I remember seeing a friend's post on Facebook about going to the cinema and thinking, ‘I'm so jealous that you can just pop off to the cinema and do that.
"You don't know how lucky you are.’”
With Yarren by her side, Lorna and Rex travelled independently, found the right screen and settled down to watch the film.
“As soon as we got there and sat down, I thought, ‘I've just done that. We're here, we're in the right screen, and we've got our headsets.’”
“It was one of those moments where the combination of getting there with Yarren, and the support we received when we arrived, had me thinking, ‘This is how it should be. This is what motherhood should feel like.’”
“I looked down at Yarren lying on the floor and thought, ‘I can finally be a mum on my own without always needing my husband's help.’”
Lorna hopes her story will show more people the life-changing difference the right support can make.
Read more
Consett man loses 8st after 'threat of death' before life-saving surgery
Meet Darlington sisters helping women with confidence at award-winning 'dream salon'
Darlington salon owner shortlisted for award after heartbreaking loss
Lorna also appears in Guide Dogs’ new TV advert, Life Unleashed, which celebrates the ‘firsts’ made possible by the right support.
The advert shows Lorna working with a vision rehabilitation specialist before leaving her home alone for the first time.
The scene mirrors Lorna’s journey towards greater confidence and freedom, which began with a long cane and continued with Yarren in 2020.