When Carlton resident Chrissy Antonopoulos was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease at 23 she was determined not to let it stop her achieving her dreams.
The condition is an inherited retinal disease similar to macular degeneration and has left her legally blind.
When she was diagnosed she was in her final semester of university and was looking forward to starting her career.
The diagnosis meant she couldn’t drive and wasn’t able to continue her job.
Now at 29 she has completed two university degrees and is finishing psychology honours this year.
‘’It was really hard at the start to figure it out,’’ she said.
‘’But I didn’t want to hinder myself. Now I keep surprising myself with what I can do.’’
Last year she started her own organisation See Through My Eyes which helps blind or visually impaired people with education and work.
On March 4 she will be launching her first fundraiser 'Relay 4 Vision' which is a 24-hour running relay at Vision Personal Training in Blakehurst.
She has already been overwhelmed with the response with all the running spots filled up.
The fundraiser aims to raise $35,000 which will go towards adaptive technology for students as well as career counselling.
It’s something Ms Antonopoulos knows makes a crucial importance.
‘’I could not function without my software,’’ she said.
‘’I rely almost entirely on audio so I use special apps and audio books.
‘’It’s expensive; a hand-held magnifier can cost more than $1,000.’’
She hopes to grow her organisation to be a leader in the industry.
‘’I think we need to change the culture of how we think about people with a disability,’’ she said.
‘’It should be about our abilities and what we can do.’’
For more information or to donate go to www.mycause.com.au/events/relay4vision
