Sarah lives in Whanganui with Julz, her guide dog of one year.
Sarah was diagnosed with RP at the age of 21. As a child she experienced night blindness and is now only able to see hand motion out of her left eye and experiences limited central vision in her right eye. Sarah connected with BLVNZ on her return to NZ after living in Australia.
“I did orientation and mobility training for close to 15 months,” Sarah says. “That was very helpful to build up my confidence and get out in the community a bit more, while also allowing me to move on to the next level of getting the guide dog.”
Sarah had been wanting to apply for a guide dog for a number of years, but as she was raising five children, the timing just wasn’t right. Sarah was initially daunted by the thought of going through the application process but was encouraged to do so by a friend.
Sarah describes the first couple of weeks with Julz. “I think I was quite overwhelmed and nervous,” she recalls. “I didn’t know how we would go together, what she thought of me or if we were going to make it together as a team. It did take a couple of weeks but apparently I was flying through pretty well.”
The most challenging part of the two-week period was doing initial walks and remembering all of the commands, but now the duo walk daily and have built confidence as a team.
“When I had my cane and didn’t have Julz, it was a big issue trying to get out the front door – I was quite terrified. But having Julz just opens up more doors and you feel better about your lifestyle. Everyone seems to be more caring and they approach you more, which is really nice.”
“I have all the trust in her now,” Sarah says with a smile. “I think we’ve connected and we work as a team. I can pretty much leave my sunglasses on and have the full trust of her. She knows where to go. If I mention where we are going to visit or say a particular person, she automatically knows which way to turn without me saying so. And now with traffic lights I say straight to the curb, and she automatically goes straight to the pole to find the buzzer. It’s unreal. I have an increased level of confidence.”
Sarah and Julz have just celebrated their first anniversary together. Sarah recently returned from playing Blind Indoor Bowls Nationals in Hamilton which meant she and Julz were separated for the first time since they were matched.
“It was so wonderful to be reunited. I had missed her so much!”
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