Optician Dylan is fully focused on marathon bid to raise funds

Dylan Russell, who is an assistant manager and dispensing optician at Boots, will be taking part in the Capital’s 26.2-mile race to support people living with macular disease.

He decided to take on the challenge after working in eye health for seven years and seeing first-hand the devastating impact it can have on people’s lives, often leaving them unable to drive, read or see faces.

Dylan said: “I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum really. Those who have recently been diagnosed, struggling to deal with the shock, trying to understand what their future looks like and how they will cope. Then you have those who are further along the emotional journey, who believe that there is nothing that can be done to help them with their vision and have retreated within themselves.”

Macular disease affects nearly 1.5m people in the UK. Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similar to bereavement. There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable. AMD is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 600,000 people, usually over the age of 50.

Dylan will be running to raise funds for the Macular Society at this year’s race – the only UK charity determined to beat the fear and isolation of macular disease with world-class research, and the best advice and support. The race is second only to the London Marathon in the UK, with more than 16,000 runners taking part.

Dylan said: “Macular disease has a huge impact on people’s lives. Noticing your central vision deteriorating and then being told that it is something that can’t be fixed is going to unnerve even the most confident of people.

“Without the right guidance and support those mentioned above can quickly lose all hope.

“With it being my first marathon I knew I could drum up a lot of noise about it. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to draw some attention to a worthy cause.

“If all I can do is raise some awareness towards a disease a lot of people won’t know exists and the support network that Macular Society provides then I will be happy.”

He added: “Raising a large amount of money to help go towards more resources and treatments, maybe even a cure would be an added bonus.”

Every day, around 300 people are diagnosed with macular disease.

Every day, around 300 people are diagnosed with macular disease. It’s the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.

To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/dylan-russell1