Blind panic

THE day after Tom McInulty celebrated his 31st birthday he woke up to discover he had gone blind - overnight.

Tom, who worked as a steward on board a cruise liner, had been out on the town in Trinidad, but with the dawn of a new day his world was thrown upside down.

"I had worked on the liners for years travelling all over the world. I worked on the Canberra and QE2 and I was also based out in Australia cruising from Sydney. It was a carefree job and I loved the travel.

"I had been out the night before with my friends in Trinidad to celebrate my birthday but, when I woke up the next day, I had no sight in either eye," he said.

Doctors blamed a build-up of cyanide in Tom's body for the loss of his sight. The deadly poison is apparently found in tobacco and some drinks.

While most of us can filter out the harmful effects, Tom did not have that capacity.

"It is a hereditary condition - my body just couldn't cope with the cyanide.

"We could never prove exactly where it came from but I have been told it's found in tobacco and alcohol, " he said.

Waking up to discover he was suddenly a blind man had huge implications for Tom's life and he admits he did not cope well with his disability in the early days.

He was scared of what life held for him and he turned to the bottle for solace.

"It was a hell of a shock to wake up and discover I was blind. At first I just didn't want to go out.

"I was depressed and started to drink too much. I went through a bereavement period - I was grieving for the life I had lost and at the same time I was trying to hide from it.

"But then I gradually realised that it wasn't going to go away and I had to do something about my life," he said.

But with the help of experienced carers Tom was able to get his life back on track at home in Southampton.

He has been the proud owner of two guide dogs and his current companion Lloyd has just retired.

A holiday where Tom met other blind people proved to be a turning point for him.

"With the help of the rehabilitation officer I gradually began to build up my confidence again.

"Meeting other blind people and realising I could have a full life again made me feel more positive.

"That first holiday was at a campsite in Farnham. I was terrified to begin with and I didn't have the nerve to do a lot.

"But gradually my confidence did come back. When I fist went blind I felt I had lost my identity but I came bouncing back - and now I think I am a better person," he said.

Tom, now 51, works as an advocate and information officer for the Hampshire Association for the Blind.

His job involves him visiting people who have become blind and helping them to readjust to their new life.

"We want people to know there is a great deal that can be done to help blind people with their work.

"Each job centre has an adviser who can give information to employers about what is available. There is specialist equipment and support workers can also be employed to help blind people with certain aspects of their work - and the government pays for it. "I have a full and active life now. At first I thought my life was over when I went blind but now I am busier than ever.

"I enjoy running and swimming - I have even done a marathon and I get together with friends to go line-dancing," he said.

New funding has been made available to help blind and visually impaired people who may be going for job interviews.

"People who are visually impaired can't maintain eye contact and often this can look like they are not listening so we are running a course called Speak up, Speak out to help to help people communicated more effectively in the workplace or at a job interview," explained Jo Marshall, general manager at Southampton Society for the Blind.

Four courses will run at the Southampton Society for the Blind Social Centre in Bassett Avenue and there are 10 places available free of charge on each one. Participants must be of working age, said Jo.

For more details contact Jo on 023 8076 9882.