Teenagers plea to see the world before she goes blind

A teenager diagnosed with a rare genetic eye disease which means she will lose her eyesight is desperate to see the world before she goes blind.Tilly Hayward, 17, has Stargardt disease – an inherited genetic condition that affects one in 10K people.Stargardt disease happens when fatty material builds up on the macula – the small part of the retina needed for central vision.Most people with the condition retain their peripheral vision, so will not lose their sight completely.But last November, Tilly, from Peterborough, Cambs., was given the devastating news her peripheral vision is deteriorating and she will go blind. The student said she does not know how much time she has before she loses her vision and has launched a fundraiser to help her see the world.Her wish list includes Disneyworld in Florida and the beaches of Dubai.Tilly, who is studying psychology A-Level at home, said: “Being told to prepare for the worst and go blind has given me the motivation to see as much of the world as I possibly can. “From the age of four or five, I’ve been obsessed with beaches and planes – and I always wanted to be an air hostess. “The news has put it into perspective that life is short.”Tilly was born with Stargardt disease as her mum and dad both carry the faulty gene. There is a one in four chance of the child developing the condition.Tilly said people noticed there was an issue with her sight from the age of four but opticians recommended glasses.She explained: “When I was seven, I began bumping into things and sitting insanely close to the TV but I could still read a normal font-size book.“I remember being sat in a maths class and my TA asked me to plot co-ordinates on a graph. “I didn’t know the piece of paper in front of my had lines on it.”Tilly’s mum Nicola took her back to the opticians, but the family was told it was ‘behavioral problems’, which Tilly described as ‘bizarre.’They were eventually referred to Peterborough Hospita...