A tribute to Sheila
Sheila’s mum Minnie had always loved to read, play golf and do the crossword in the newspaper on a Sunday afternoon. But when she got older, she found it harder to get out on the golf course and instead would find pleasure from sitting in front of the TV watching her favourite programmes instead.
One day she noticed a strange dip in the middle of her television set. She went to her optician and was prescribed a new pair of glasses. But they made no difference. She soon noticed that she was looking at people from an odd angle to try and see their faces.
After several visits to the opticians and five pairs of glasses she couldn’t use, she eventually received a diagnosis. Minnie had age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Sharp-witted, intelligent, and a talented singer, Minnie found her many interests hard to maintain after developing AMD. Reading, golf and doing the crossword became too difficult. The most devastating thing was not being able to recognise her loved ones’ faces. “Macular disease really messed up her life,” her daughter Sheila told us.
Minnie passed away in 2010 at the age of 90 and so Sheila’s tribute to her mum began, with a funeral collection and her own donations given in memory to the Macular Society.
Sheila then set up one of the first Vision of Hope tribute pages in Minnie’s name, raising money to fund research that will lead to the cure her mum so desperately needed.
Sheila also fundraised by giving talks about the RMS Titanic, a story she was passionate about. She would recite them dressed resplendently in period costume (pictured), talking at clubs and community groups. Over the years Sheila gave nearly 100 talks, raising money for the Macular Society – something she was rightly very proud of.
To date, Minnie’s Vision of Hope fund has raised nearly £7,000, and that is largely down to Sheila’s passion and fundraising in memory of her mum.
Everyone at the Macular Society would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy to Sheila’s family and sincere thanks for everything that she did to raise money to help find a cure for macular disease. Thank you Sheila.
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