Little Lucy inspires 104km walk from London to Brighton

He was motivated to take on the 24 hour walking challenge all because of his little cousin Lucy Downey.

Lucy and the Downey family, who live in the Dromintee and Jonesborough area of Co. Armagh, have received support from RNIB’s Children, Young People and Families service since Lucy was born with a vision impairment.

Christopher says: “Little Lucy entered this world much earlier than expected, as part of a set of triplets.

“Despite her challenging start, Lucy's spirit shines bright, but she faces unique obstacles due to being born premature.

"Lucy has been diagnosed with CVI (cerebral visual impairment) and Retinopathy of Prematurity, conditions that affect her vision and daily life.

"Fortunately, Lucy has found incredible support and care from RNIB. The RNIB has been an unwavering source of assistance, providing vital resources, therapies, and emotional support for Lucy and her devoted parents, Tony and Julie. They've organised special trips, offering precious moments of joy and respite amidst the challenges.”

Lucy’s Dad Tony Downey, said: “Our family have received great support from Roisin Meagher from RNIB’s Children, Young People and Families team.

"Nothing is too much trouble and she has supported us to apply for a grant for our home and items of technology for Lucy. Julie and I are extremely grateful to Roisin and the team at RNIB, for being there for us and all the families like ours across Northern Ireland.”

RNIB’s Children, Young People and Families Service supports families affected by vision impairment here in Northern Ireland and across the UK. If your family is affected by sight loss, call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 1239999 or email [email protected].

The Eventum Group, the company Christopher works for, have also kindly donated £500 in support of his fundraising effort.

You can still support Christopher’s fundraising effort by following this link: https://gofund.me/c0251312