Out of the blue, Innes Gregory started suffering double vision – and soon was completely unable to open his eyelids.
The 55-year-old was stuck in his Aberdeen flat, unable to work or simply pop to the shops.
He even struggled just to climb the stairs.
It emerged the former oil worker turned drone pilot was suffering from a rare autoimmune condition.
But with quick medical help and the intervention of a local charity, he’s giving back to those who helped him.
Rare condition left him ‘housebound’
Innes began suffering with his symptoms in September 2018 and was referred to the eye clinic at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for investigation.
He was diagnosed with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) – something which affects an estimated 1,850 Scots, or 0.03% of the population.
The disorder interferes with messages being passed between the brain and muscles.
It largely affects those around the eyes, often causing blurred or double vision and drooping eyelids.
And in some cases, the muscles can weaken and lead to difficulty speaking, swallowing and chewing.
Innes was given strong steroid medication which let him open his eyelids again, but that again left him with severe double vision.
Even now, he has issues with his peripheral vision and long-term fatigue.
He explained: “I was housebound. I couldn’t shop. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t do anything else.
“I lived on a second-floor flat at the time and tripped on the stairs.
“It was not a massive fall but big enough to scare me into thinking ‘I really need people to help me’.
“It’s difficult to do that because I’m very independent.”
Charity turning point for Innes
But things changed for Innes when the hospital suggested he get in touch with charity North East Sensory Services (Ness).
The organisation supports people with visual and hearing impairments across the north-east and Tayside.
And it was able to offer Innes support for accessing benefits, as well as more practical help with his mobility and daily living skills.
“They helped me turn my life around,” he revealed.
“They understood what I needed.”
Innes then came up with an ingenious idea with cinematographer friend Faustas Talacka, who he met through drone flying.
He wanted to give back to the charity in some way, and the pair produced a 12-minute long video to demonstrate Ness‘ important work.
It features Royal Navy sailor John Derek Mitchell, who has macular degeneration, and Sonia Seivwright, who has hearing loss.
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“We wanted to do all we could do to give back to Ness as a way of thanks for all the help it got me to where I am now,” Innes added.
“We thought the best way to highlight its incredible work was for people to share stories and encourage other people to come in and seek help if they needed to.”
‘We can make a difference to thousands’
The charity’s chief executive, Graham Findlay, said he’s “immensely grateful” for the video.
“While financial donations and legacy gifts are vital to our work, gifts in kind like this save us costs on much needed goods and services,” he said.
“We want to make sure everyone in the north-east with a sensory impairment is given all the support they need to live as independently as possible and participate normally in society.
“Thanks to Innes and Faustas, we can make a huge difference to the lives of thousands of blind and deaf people across the region.”
Conversation