A north-east charity has received a donation of £1,500 from an offshore energy company for helping the visually impaired daughter of a crew member.
The crew of the Aberdeen base of Nippon Gases completed a step challenge, so Scott Walker nominated North East Sensory Services (Ness) for donation.
It was after the charity supported his daughter after she was found to have sight problems.
Lexi Walker, now 15, was born without an optical nerve behind her right eye but it wasn’t detected until she was four.
Being an active child, nothing suggested any issues with her sight until one day she covered her eye and could only see black.
Mr Walker, from Aberdeen, said: “Lexi covered her right eye and said, ‘I just see black’. We were totally bewildered and shocked.
“We took her to get her eyes tested at the hospital and they told us that behind her right eye all they could see was a black mass.
‘We are so proud of Lexi and all that she continues to achieve’
“The doctor told us she had optic nerve hypoplasia, which meant the nerve behind the eye had not formed from when she was a foetus.
“Her eye is perfect. If she had an optic nerve, they could attach it and she would be able to see, but she doesn’t have one.”
Following her diagnosis, Ness offered support and was on hand to answer questions and visited Miss Walker’s school to ensure she was comfortable.
Despite her visual impairment, she has become a star gymnast and has entered national mainstream competitions.
When deciding what to do with the team’s prize, Mr Walker said that Ness was the obvious choice.
He added: “Once I explained why all the guys in work agreed that it was a very worthy charity for it to go to.
“To know that it’s going to help people with sensory loss, whether that be young people or those who have deterioration in their sight or hearing as they get older, is just fantastic.”
“We are so proud of Lexi and all that she continues to achieve. We tell her all the time – she has no idea how amazing she is.”
