A Co Derry woman, who lives with sight loss, is hoping to go from strength to strength with her new gym business. Brimming with a new-found confidence, Noreen Kelly, launched the new venture after struggling for some years to find work because of her sight loss. Noreen, 44, was diagnosed with Usher syndrome in her 20s and has lived with sight and hearing loss for most of her adult life. Usher syndrome is a genetic disease that affects both hearing and vision.
It causes deafness or hearing loss and an eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). After leaving school, Noreen initially trained as a hairdresser but as her sight deteriorated, she left work and focused on raising her young family. Noreen said: “When my kids had reached an age where they didn’t rely on me as much, I tried to return to work but really struggled and found it tough to find any support