A dad was told he would go blind by the time he was 30 at a routine appointment.
Dave Kelly was working as a plasterer at the age of 17 when an optometrist spotted something in his eye during a check up. Dave said: "I went to the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind as a plasterer. Children would be outside playing blind football and other sports and it was amazing. While I was there I had a check up and they spotted something.
"So, I went down to the hospital and a specialist came out and told my mum: ‘I’m sorry but your son will be blind by the time he’s 30'. I went back to the school for the blind and thought… that could be me."
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Dave has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP) part of a group of hereditary eye conditions which causes a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. After the diagnosis, Dave carried on his life as normal. He got married and continued work, but everything changed when he reached 30.
The charity-worker, now aged 61, said the ECHO was the last paper he read before he fully lost his vision. He said: “Two weeks later I had lost my sight. I was a blind Scouser. No hope, no education, no nothing."
It was three years later that he had a dream about running a charity called Daisy. It was designed to help children, single parents- everybody living with a disability as well as their families.
So Dave went back to school and worked towards his BA Hons in coaching and sport development at Manchester Metropolitan University and set up Everton-based charity Daisy Inclusive UK. Dubbed the “can do charity that does" by Dave, the organisation supports young and vulnerable people who have experienced hate crime and has won a plethora of awards.
The charity encourages people to take part in sports and music, while also assisting with their employment options. The “daisy chain” provides support and aids people in reaching their true potential.
The charity even continued on during the pandemic- something Dave felt was vital, as “that was when people with disabilities needed support the most.”
He said: “I set up Daisy not just for blind people, but for everybody with a disability. We’ve never turned anybody away. And we’ve just gone strength to strength. I want to be out there doing stuff.”
Dave was also the first blind man to get a powerboat licence and his new book, ‘Blind Man With A Vision,’ was released this year. Dave said he felt that it was important to share his story.
He said: "People had been telling me for years to write a book. So I dictated and got my friend to write. From 8 o'clock til midnight we would work on the book.” The book launch took place on November 15 in Liverpool ONE.
Dave added: “I have ADHD and dyslexia - I’d never read a book before I went blind. Now I write and listen to books all the time. There is hope and light at the end of the trouble. I am living proof you can get through adversity."
You can donate to Daisy here.
Today, Saturday, December 3, is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, you can find out more here.
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