Cowdenbeath woman takes on 'terrifying' fundraiser

Karen Donnachie, will be spending the entire day of Blind Day (April 27) blindfolded and taking part in everyday activities both inside her house and out in the community, to raise awareness of the everyday struggles people who are visually impaired go through. 

The Guide Dogs West Fife Fundraising Group volunteer told the Times: "I started volunteering four years ago when my daughter did a YPI project at the school.

"She had chosen Guide Dogs and because she wanted to go and help and do some fundraising for them, she had to have a parent with her.  

"We had gone, myself and my husband, to help out and after meeting so many people there, they were absolutely fantastic.

"We met some amazing people who are now great friends, both people who are visually impaired and other volunteers, so we said we would sign up as volunteers - that was four years ago and we’ve been doing it ever since."

Both Karen and her husband now have major roles in the fundraising group and are even putting on a concert in the Royal British Legion in Dunfermline, with the lead singer of Skipinnish set to perform at the show. 

But Karen wanted to do something separate from the group fundraising event, to raise a little extra money for the charity. 

She decided to do her own challenge. 

"Basically, for the whole day, I'm going to have to wear a blindfold," she explained. "I’ll do normal activities, that you would normally do around the house, and then go out into the shopping centre and go into some shops.

"I'm going to have to try and navigate around and see just how difficult it is for someone with no sight to be able to do daily activities.  

"It’s things you don't even think of, even things like going up and down the stairs, how do you know you’re on the last stair? It’s the fear of everything, the fear of stepping into someone else."

Karen will spend the day navigating her way through a number of everyday activities, and she will even be going out to dinner with her family.

She continued: "I’m actually terrified, really terrified, because I know how scary it's actually going to be.

"At the end of the day, even though it's going to be challenging for me on so many levels, at the end of the day I can take that blindfold off. Someone who’s blind is never going to have that opportunity again.  

"Even things like seeing a loved one, seeing your kids, grandkids growing up, they’re never going to be able to see that, and it’s just heartbreaking."

But despite her fear, she is going ahead with the fundraiser because she feels it's all for a worthwhile cause.  

"There are so many different services that Guide Dogs UK offer, so it's not just all about the dogs. For kids they have buddies to help kids get through and learn, and they have sighted guides so that someone who isn't maybe registered to have a dog can have someone who can take them out.

"It’s a sighted guide who will take them out wherever they want to go and tell them about what is around them.

"There are so many different aspects and because it benefits so many people with different eye conditions, it’s just amazing."

To show Karen your support and raise funds for Guide Dogs UK, visit her JustGiving page.