Guided out of darkness

For many, leaving a gift to charity in their Will is a positive way to honour the causes they hold dear. For Guide Dogs, these gifts enable us to transform lives on a daily basis. Lives like that of Andrew.

When Andrew was 15, he was a happy-go-lucky teenager with a close circle of friends and a love of football. He had the freedom and independence that every other 15 year old had. Then he suffered a heart attack which left him severely disabled with virtually no sight. He lost the ability to walk, talk and eat by himself.

Specialists told his parents he’d never fully recover and would only have a short life. All those things you may take for granted as a parent suddenly become very precious - seeing your child cross the finish line on sports day, arguing over lifts, sharing their joy at passing their exams.

Andrew was determined to get over this and he dreamt of becoming independent again. After learning the core skills of walking, talking and eating, he was trained with his first guide dog, Verney.

Andrew says: "Being paired with Verney changed my life in a way that I never thought possible – he's given me the freedom to get my life back and I love him to bits."

After 17 years of never leaving the house alone, Andrew moved to his own place, went back to college and made contact with friends he had previously lost touch with. Andrew and Verney also became regulars at their local gym.

Now Verney is retired and lives with Andrew and his new guide dog Naylor.

Please help us to continue making these life-changing partnerships happen. Two out of three guide dogs are made possible thanks to gifts in Wills.