The broken heart of a visually impaired Lanarkshire man has been mended with the arrival of new, four legged companion.
Fraser Fleming has fallen in love with Mabel, who he got after he was left devastated by the sudden death of his first guide dog during the coronavirus lockdown,
After he was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy in his mid-20s, the once gregarious Fraser lost all confidence.
The condition completely robbed him of sight in his left eye, with only slight central vision in his right eye that enables him to see shapes, but no detail.
This had a profound impact on the independence of the normally bubbly and out-going Fraser. Determined not to be defined by his disability, he decided to seek help.
He told Lanarkshire Live : “Everyone goes through a period in their sight loss journey where they need to get it right in their head first of all, before they can take steps to overcome it.”
Before long, Fraser was not only accessing support from various charitable organisations, he was also rolling up his sleeves and volunteering.
When his Braille teacher introduced him to an accessible smart phone app, it was to mark the first step of his journey into accessible technology, and an exciting new career.
It was also around this time that his habilitation officer put him in touch with charity, Guide Dogs.
Fraser’s first guide dog, Mercer, was the catalyst to enabling him to set up and run his own charity, Triple Tap Tech.
With Mercer by his side, Fraser was better equipped to get out and about independently, visiting the organisations with which he was involved to train other visually impaired people in the use of life-changing accessible technology.
Having Mercer made it easier for Fraser to offer them the face-to-face, personal support they needed.
By 2018, Fraser had branched out with his business partner, who is also a guide dog owner. Together, they set themselves the goal of supporting as many people as possible with sight loss to navigate the digital world that we live in.
With the help of their guide dogs, they were able to visit those people in all kinds of different locations and environments, and introduce them to the freedom that technology can bring.
But COVID-19 and lockdown brought huge challenges for Fraser, who then had to adapt his business to enable him to continue to support people’s use of technology virtually.
Sadly, Mercer passed away during the pandemic, leaving 38-year-old Fraser broken.
With restrictions easing and the re-opening of the office, he was able to once again provide in-person support. But this proved significantly more challenging without the help of a guide dog.
All that’s changed since he was partnered with his second guide dog, Mabel, with whom he’s enjoying a free, independent life.
Mabel was one of a litter of nine puppies funded, for their entire lifetime, by players of People’s Postcode Lottery in 2018.
People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Danyl Johnson – a former X-Factor semi-finalist – met the puppies when they were just weeks old.
Since Fraser qualified with Mabel five months ago, their partnership has come on leaps and bounds, and they have built up trust and confidence together.
Describing the difference between having a long cane and Mabel as “night and day,” Fraser told us : “Using a cane was a lot more challenging, as you have to concentrate a lot more.
"So, you are less inclined to go out. With Mabel, she takes over and just helps to guide you where you need to go.”
Recently, People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador Danyl had the opportunity to visit Motherwell man Fraser and see first hand the incredible bond he and Mabel share.
Danyl added: “I have loved being a part of the guide dogs’ journey and meeting Mabel and the other pups in 2018 was fantastic.
"To hear about the incredible support that Mabel is providing Fraser is inspiring.
They sound like a real dynamic duo. I am delighted that, thanks to funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, even more people will be partnered up with their very own qualified guide dog.”
Inspirational Fraser added: “I’m so grateful to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery for funding Mabel.
"The difference that a guide dog makes is so important, not just in terms of mobility. They support mental wellbeing through companionship and company, as well as helping people get out to socialise and work.
"A guide dog is not just a working animal. They bring the full support net, which has life-changing benefits for people.”
With faithful Mabel by his side, Fraser’s burning ambition is to make charity Triple Tap Tech even more successful by supporting more vision impaired people to achieve their own independence through the confident use of the latest Smartphones and tablets, computers and MacBooks, smart TV and speakers, and many other devices.
*Guide Dogs is a charity that is almost entirely dependent on donations. For more information about the support Guide Dogs offers, visit www.guidedogs.org.uk
To read more about People's Postcode Lottery, see https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/good-causes
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