Fight for Sight supporter Kieron to run Thames Path 100km Challenge for daughter's rare eye condition

On 7th September, Kieron Price (42) from St Albans is running the Thames Path 100km Challenge for Fight for Sight to raise money for his eight-year old daughter, Evie, who has eye condition Aniridia, which can lead to blindness.

What is Aniridia?

Aniridia is a very rare eye condition in which the coloured part of the eye (the iris) does not fully develop, causing reduction in the sharpness of vision and increased sensitivity to light. Later in life, people with aniridia may develop other eye problems that can cause visual impairment or blindness, such as glaucoma and cataracts. Currently there is no cure for this condition.

As a result of having Aniridia, Evie is extremely photosensitive and has to wear specially designed sunglasses at all times to protect her eyes. Her condition severely impacts her quality of life.

To raise money for Fight for Sight’s research, Kieron will run the full Thames Path 100km Challenge, with the hope of meeting his fundraising target of £595.

Fight for Sight funds pioneering eye research into Aniridia, as well as others like glaucoma, macular degeneration and inherited eye diseases. Their research is already leading to breakthroughs for many eye conditions, including the world’s first clinical trial of gene therapy treatments for choroideremia, an inherited condition that causes blindness in men, and a new genetic therapy that has restored sight for patients with inherited eye condition, Leber Congenital Amaurosis.

Kieron said: “I don’t cope with Evie’s Aniridia at all well. I still struggle to come to terms with the fact she has this condition. We know it won’t define who Evie is and we will always encourage her to try new things. Nor will it stop us to try and find a way to slow it down, stop it, prevent it and hopefully one day cure this disease. That’s why I’ve chosen to run for Fight for Sight in the Thames Path 100km.”

Kieron will now be raising money to support vital eye research that could lead to the next breakthrough for sight loss conditions like Evie’s, and others like glaucoma and macular degeneration. There are currently two million people living with sight loss in the UK, and this figure is set to double by 2050 to four million.

Ed Jackson, events manager at Fight for Sight, said: “A huge thank you to Kieron for his fantastic effort in the Thames Path 100km Challenge. We know that sight loss doesn’t have to be inevitable - it’s through our fantastic supporters raising money for research that we will find the next breakthrough for conditions like Aniridia.”

The 100km route begins at Putney Bridge, passes Hampton Court; then Runnymede, and on past rolling scenery all the way to Henley. Participants usually choose to walk, rather than run the 100km challenge. Walking the 100km challenge can take at least two days, depending on how much participants are looking to challenge themselves. Running the challenge in one day is likely to take Kieron all day and will mean him finishing late in the evening.

You can donate via Kieron’s JustGiving page here.

You can read more on Aniridia here.