Blind woman takes on Kiltwalk to raise funds for charity that restored her independence

A woman has told of the ‘lifeline support’ she received from a Fife charity after a rare brain condition left her severely sight impaired, as she gears up to take on the Kiltwalk to raise funds for their work.

Hope Murray, 27 from Dunfermline, is taking on the Dundee Kiltwalk four-mile ‘Wee Wander’ to raise funds for Seescape, who supported her after her sight was damaged by hydrocephalus.

Increased pressure in her brain damaged her optic nerves, and following brain surgery in January, she is taking on the walking challenge.

Hope, who is registered blind, said she wanted to give back to the charity because their support meant she regained her independence and confidence.

The charity, which supports more than 3,500 people every year, helped Hope with mobility, teaching her to walk with a long cane – which she has nicknamed Florence.

Support from Seescape’s rehabilitation team meant she had the confidence to take on the Kiltwalk.

Seescape also gave Hope counselling to help her process the shock of losing her sight and advocating for her with her university, which helped secure funding for assistive technology enabling her to keep studying and supporting her to cook meals for herself.

Hope will be joined on the challenge by workers from the charity, who are taking on the Kiltwalk together for a second year.

Evelyn Hickman, Karen Russell and Deanne Brogan, who all work with Fife sight loss charity Seescape, will complete the gruelling ‘Mighty Stride’ which sees walkers trek from St Andrews to Dundee city centre – a total of 20 miles.

The team, known as the Seescape Striders, will be joined by Amanda and Zara Morgan, Zoe Morgan, Vada Montgomery, Sarah Hepburn, Elaina Hutchison and Shanna Pitbladdo who have all signed up to help.

Seescape, formerly Fife Society for the Blind, helps those with sight loss live and work safely and independently and provides a range of services including rehabilitation, advice, and technology demonstrations.

It also offers community-based assessments and home visits, as well as drop-ins at its visual impairment hub in Glenrothes to give information on the latest support and technologies available.

And it provides social opportunities to those with visual impairments through its groups Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Cupar, and Dunfermline.

Hope Murray said:

“Seescape provides vital services to visually impaired people in Fife. The charity has been a total lifeline in helping me regain my independence in multiple areas of my life after my dramatic vision loss. After finally getting much-needed brain surgery in January 2024 I am now at the stage that I can give back.

“Seescape is the only charity that provides sight loss support in Fife and relies on charity donations to continue to provide the wide range of services it does.

“They helped me fund sight loss counselling sessions to help me realise that just because my eyes are broken, it doesn’t mean I am. They helped advocate for me when my university told me I was not blind enough to access funding for essential screen reading assistive technology to actually be able to see what’s on my computer.

“They also fought to get my university to fund half of the cost of my amazing magnifier and helped me find grant funding for the other half so I now have equal access to literature in the same time scale as my peers.

“Mobility training was huge in helping me get moving and giving me the confidence to get out and about.

“My goal is to live independently like any other 20-something-year-old.”

Seescape chief executive, Lesley Carcary, said:

“Good luck to all our wonderful supporters who are literally going the extra mile to support our work. Hope’s progress over the past six months has been truly extraordinary and inspiring and we are so grateful that she has chosen to celebrate her independence by helping us.

“All the money raised will have a really positive impact on the people we support throughout Fife.”