'I was so excited about new boyfriend, weeks later it all started going wrong'
When Kitty Hinde first met her boyfriend Sam, the teenager was excited by her new whirlwind romance.
But just a few weeks into the relationship, the 19-year-old's eyesight began to deteriorate – she then lost her precious vision when she woke up totally blind.
Kitty, from Stockport, had suffered vision problems since childhood. She was in primary school when she was diagnosed with glaucoma following a routine eye test. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can damage the optic nerve, which is crucial for vision. This damage often happens due to increased pressure inside the eye.
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Kitty, now 20, underwent various treatments, including a cornea transplant, in a bid to preserve her eyesight.
But as she entered secondary school, her vision only worsened. This led to a transplant in her right eye where her damaged cornea was replaced with healthy donor tissue at the age of 14.
Tragically, despite every effort to save her vision, Kitty began experiencing blindness in spring 2023 – often waking in the morning unable to see. When she met Sam in a nightclub the following May, he was immediately supportive upon discovering her vision issues.
Sadly, Kitty has now lost her eyesight and many of the hobbies she used to enjoy like reading and watching TV. She relies on Sam to read to her and audio describe shows.
While adjusting to blindness has been a struggle for Kitty, she finds support through her TikTok platform where she raises awareness about the challenges of living with visual impairment.
Doctors are now exploring ways to restore her vision, such as a transplant in both eyes, but they're unsure whether it will be successful.
Through her videos, Kitty offers a genuine and candid perspective on life as a blind person as she navigates challenges and new experiences, both positive and negative, like clothes shopping as a blind person or re-learning to do her make-up.
Kitty's openness and commitment to raising awareness has fostered a thriving community of more than 518,000 followers.
And she is now set to be recognised at a national disability charity’s annual awards. The Sense Awards, now in its 21st year, is the charity’s annual celebration of people with complex disabilities and those in their lives that support them.
There are 13 categories in total which aim to recognise the achievements of disabled people and those that support them, including carers, campaigners and fundraisers.
In recognition of Kitty’s amazing achievements, she has been shortlisted for Sense’s Influencer of the Year.
“I feel so honoured to have been nominated by such an incredible charity,” she said. “Thank you so much for promoting inclusivity and enabling me to share the silent struggles of disabled people in the UK. And of course, I get to keep doing what I love! Thank you Sense.”
Richard Kramer, chief executive at Sense, said: “Kitty’s social media has educated and inspired her followers, raising awareness of the huge challenges that blind people can encounter in their day-to-day lives, as well as the moments of joy. At Sense we’re delighted to be able to recognise Kitty at our annual awards and wish her lots of luck.”