How RNIB is here for the defining moments in our lives
Jenny playing with her daughter at the park.
Thank you so much for all you do to support RNIB. You've already made a huge contribution to our work. We’d like to share with you another way you could give to our future work, if you feel it’s right for you. That’s by remembering RNIB in your Will.
Please watch the video below and then read on to find out more about the impact of this very special way of giving.
Jenny's story
Jenny Molineux, age 40, has Reverse retinitis pigmentosa and is registered severely sight impaired. RNIB supported Jenny through the emotional rollercoaster of her diagnosis. Since then, Jenny has gone on to support other people with sight loss, including by becoming an Eye Care Liaison Officer (ECLO). After having her daughter Theadora, age two, Jenny now works as a CYPF Support Officer (Children, Young People and Families). Her role is predominantly supporting families who have children with sight loss, but the team is starting to branch out to support more parents who themselves have sight loss.
Becoming a mum
"Theadora was born in May 2022, but I caught COVID when I was 36 weeks pregnant and her movement stopped. So there was a lot of toing and froing again from the maternity unit. I ended up having an emergency C-section, which as a visually impaired mum, was quite tricky. But I had a lovely consultant who I’d seen throughout my pregnancy, who was able to help deliver my little girl in the end. With all the chaos, that was so comforting."
Struggling with mental health as a mother with sight loss
"I had my daughter, Theadora, and she is a little poppet but unfortunately, as the months went on, I got really poorly. I developed OCD, which involved intrusive thoughts, with severe post-natal depression and bad anxiety, I became agoraphobic. I felt that I had to prove that I could be a super mum, because I can’t see properly and was worried that somebody might take her away.
"There’s a big stigma around mums’ mental health and being frightened to ask for help, and I want to try and break that barrier. Some professionals struggle knowing how to help. Theadora will soon turn two. She is the loveliest, kindest, full of beans, little person, and she’s awesome - she gets that mummy can’t see properly, she grabs my hand to touch things."
Making the transition to her role as a CYPF Family Support Officer
"I got a secondment role at RNIB working as a family support officer. Now I’m able to support parents with the knowledge that I’ve got from my clinical background, but also as a visually impaired parent. It’s our job to help families realise that just because their child’s visually impaired, that doesn’t mean they can’t achieve all their aspirations, they just might need to take a different approach."
Facing challenges as a mum with sight loss
"There’s certain challenges as a visually impaired mum, like the whole weaning stage… I just had to get over the fact that it was going to get messy. Potty training is the next big one. Every day comes with new challenges. The new one for me recently has been around reading to Theadora. RNIB’s Talking Books service is great. I find soft play really difficult, because trying to identify where she is is tricky. So I do have a PA with me for some hours a week."
Working to make things easier for visually impaired parents
"We’ve just done a guide around the early years – advice on things like changing a nappy. We’re about to do the second guide and I’m hoping to have more of an input around parents with sight loss, how to talk to your children about visual impairment."
Find the support you need
"As a mum, you know your baby. RNIB shop sells lots of aids – like talking scales which are really good to help with making bottles, liquid level indicators, and talking thermometers.
"I’m now able to use my experience to drive change and raise awareness of maternal mental health for mums with disabilities, with my ambassador work for RNIB. If being able to tell my story raises the profile and makes people more aware, then that’s something positive.”
Last year, RNIB...
- Helped more than 100,000 customers through our Sight Loss Advice Service
- Responded to more than 200,000 calls to our Helpline
- Suppported more than 60,000 patients with our Eye Care Liaison Officers (ECLOs).
We wouldn't be able to help so many people without the support of people who generously remember RNIB in their Will. To find out more about how you can help RNIB be there for blind and partially sighted people and their loved ones during the defining moments of their lives, please request a free Will Guide.
You can also get in touch with us by emailing [email protected].
