Blind dad accidentally sent son to nursery in odd shoes - but it sparked bright idea
When blind dad Andy Johnson, of Pwllheli, accidentally sent his youngest child to nursery in odd shoes, it made people chuckle – but it also sparked a clever fundraising idea. The watersports instructor, who goes by the nickname Roo, was born with retinal dystrophy, leaving him with just five per cent vision.
He turned to Guide Dogs for help and is now raising money for the charity by inviting other parents to send their children to school or nursery in odd shoes for World Sight Day on October 10. Eight schools and nurseries, most on the Llŷn Peninsula, have already signed up, with parents encouraged to make a £1 donation to Guide Dogs for each child who takes part in the fun.
Roo is spreading the word via his social media accounts, which he runs under the name ‘The Blind Watersports Dad’ to bring a touch of humour and “show everyone that being blind doesn’t change who you are”. He said: “Sending four-year-old Oakey to nursery in odd shoes was a complete accident, and my wife Danni didn’t even notice until they got to the gates.
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"We’re hoping it won’t be too long before I’m matched with a guide dog who loves the beach, but in the meantime I want to raise awareness of the charity and give something back.” Roo and Danni run Abersoch Hydro together, and recently welcomed a group of young children with sight loss to try water sports such as kayaking, paddle boarding and sailing.
Roo said: “This was not only giving them confidence, but also showing them they can do anything. We also hosted a group of people from Blind Veterans UK and would like to do more of this in future.”
The couple will spend time in school on World Sight Day with Oakey and his big brother Finley, eight, so that they can share their experiences of sight loss with classmates. If you’d like to get your school or nursery involved in the fun and help Guide Dogs, visit justgiving.com/campaign/oddshoesday
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