An 11-year-old boy with severe sight impairment walked 13 miles to raise money for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. He was joined by 115 well-wishers from his local community on his walk on Sunday, August 7, and had the support of some major celebrities.
Mason Davies, 11, was diagnosed with retinal dystrophy in 2014. This year, his eyesight deteriorated by 40% in six months and his diagnosis was changed to severely sight impaired, meaning he is effectively blind.
Far from letting the diagnosis hold him back, he decided to use it for good - raising awareness in the media for his 13-mile walk for charity. The walk, named #Masons3TrigTrail, was in aid of one of the world's leading guide dog charities - whose services he will likely be in need of as he gets older.
Mason's mum Nicola Davies said: "We're immensely proud of him. People don't realise how well he deals with his condition. You have to be in his shoes to appreciate what little vision he has.
"He always asks me not to make a fuss because he doesn't like being different. He always starts the day with a smile and ends the day with a smile."
Mason has also gained a bit of internet fame after travelling to the Royal Welsh Show. He joined Wynne Evans on his BBC Radio Wales show, where the Welsh singer described Mason as "Royal Welsh royalty... the main man, the man who runs the whole place!"
Nicola said Mason has loved listening to the radio since he lost his sight, and that Wynne Evans was "amazing" to him. Evans joked that the £2,300 that Mason had raised was "almost a night out in Carmarthen" - but Mason has since doubled that figure, with £5,140 raised at time of writing.
Mason's dad, Gareth Davies said: "We’re so proud of him, he’s far more come to terms with it than we are. Academically he’s very bright, he’s a bit stubborn because he struggles with some print things - instead of using the bigger writing he perseveres, he should be using the bigger writing but he’s quite strong-willed."
Mason also got to go for a drink with the Wurzels at the Royal Welsh Show, who he said had "20 pints on the table" when they met. He also has the support of Jungle John, who runs the popular Jungle Productions blog where Mason has shared details of his training for the walk.
Mason told WalesOnline: "Going out with the Wurzels was the highlight, they were pretty chill. I feel great about the walk, it's gonna be amazing! When we walked the whole route as practice, it was a bit of a push - but it was alright in the end."
The walk itself took Mason and his entourage from Mason's home farm of Caerigwibber, Llandrindod Wells and past three different trig points ending at Garth Hill in Builth Wells. It took five hours in total.
Jungle John said: "Not only did Mason raise a lot of money - what he's doing at such a young age, with everyone joining from Rotary clubs and rugby clubs all across mid Wales... that young man did that. He'll probably lose all of his remaining sight in a year... he was overwhelmed and he's an inspiration. It's been a pleasure to work with him."
Nicola added: "We’re so proud, and it’s just amazing the donations that people are giving. I keep saying thank you, thank you, but it is from the bottom of our hearts to the community that we live in and the names on donations that have come from far around. The local businesses have been so supportive, donating water, t-shirts, the food afterwards - they really really have pulled out all the stops."
You can donate to Mason's cause via his gofundme page. Mason already has plans for another walk in winter and a local concert in Builth Wells in the coming months.
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