Deaf blind man completes fundraising swim to help pay for Braille computer
“Jimmy is inspiring and has a zest for getting out and looking after his health and wellbeing”
A deaf blind man from Peterborough is a step closer to being able to afford a Braille computer after completing a fundraising swim.
Jimmy O’Hare took the plunge at his local Holiday Inn’s swimming pool on Friday to complete an impressive 140 laps – raising almost £2,000 towards the £5,000 cost of the specialist equipment.
He says he hopes a new computer will enable him to talk to other deaf blind people via email and use the internet.
As previously reported, Jimmy was born totally deaf and lost his eyesight a short time later. With unclear speech, his only way to communicate without a computer is via the Deafblind Manual, hands-on British sign language, and block letters.
“I enjoy going out with my Communicator-Guides from Deafblind-Enablement,” he said. “But when I get home I am bored, I cannot watch TV or phone a friend for help if I am in trouble.”
Nicola Colegate, from Deafblind Enablement, in Peterborough, which has been supporting Jimmy, said: “He was amazing and completed his 140 lengths in just over an hour. We have worked out that he raised nearly £2,000.”
The Holiday Inn’s leisure centre manager Mark Drake commented: “Jimmy has been a member at Club Moativation for over a year now. He loves coming to the club and spending time in the pool swimming length after length after length.
"Jimmy is inspiring and has a zest for getting out and looking after his health and wellbeing. We are happy that he feels comfortable at Club Moativation and that we can cater for his needs which is very important as Club Moativation is all about inclusivity.
"This challenge he has taken on is amazing and a real credit to himself as his motivation and dedication is off the scale.”
He added: "We would like to thank our members for donating towards Jimmy’s cause for his Braille computer. We hope Jimmy remains a Club Moativation member for years to come, and that he ticks off many more hundreds of lengths. Go Jimmy!’”
To help to boost Jimmy’s fundraising total, visit his GoFundMe page.