Blind Mansfield man talks about the grieving process after losing his sight and how getting a guide dog changed his life
Nathan Edge has opened up to Your Chad about losing his sight completely as a teenager, the grieving process that followed and the invaluable support Guide Dogs has given him over the years.
Now a dad-of-two and newly married, Nathan recently appeared in a national TV advert with his Guide Dog Brodie highlighting the charity’s incredible work.
Nathan, who is also the proud owner of the Mansfield Canine Centre, said: “I became visually impaired when I was six-years-old. At that point I lost about 80 per cent of my vision, then when I turned 18 that was when I lost the rest of my sight.
“It was complete darkness so I went down the route of getting a guide dog and it completely changed my life from then onwards.”
Nathan was approached by Guide Dogs to be featured in a national TV advert.
He said: “Guide Dogs got in touch with me and they had this great idea for an advert that they wanted to put out this year and for part of that advert they wanted to showcase somebody going to a football match.
“Through the stuff I’ve done with Guide Dogs in the past few years they know I’m a big Mansfield Town supporter so they reached out and asked if myself and my guide dog, Brodie, would be interested in participating.”
Nathan spoke to Your Chad about how coming to terms with losing his sight was a grieving process and how the support he received was ‘life changing’.
He said: “Losing your sight can affect you so many different ways, especially in the early days, it was a grieving process and I’ve always been honest about it.
“In the beginning it took me a long time to get to where I am now, with a lot of hard work, being brave, and I had to face my fears head on.
“I’ve often credited Guide Dogs for the support they’ve been able to provide, the charity in general, and each dog that I’ve had along the way. They’ve been a massive help.
“Eventually I lost a lot of fear and I wanted to go out there and try and do everything I wanted to do and I’ve not got a lovely family, two young boys, and a business. I’ve recently got married as well.
“Going back to when I was 18/19-years-old when I lost all my sight I didn’t think I’d ever meet anybody, never mind being able to get married and have children and have a proper family.
“At the beginning it was very difficult but over time, through support, and through Guide Dogs, it’s been life changing.”