FOR most men the idea of building stairs for their home, re-wiring the house, preparing a car for MOT or teaching students computer skills would be at best daunting experiences.
Many would dismiss the notion of even attempting any of the above.
But one Ballymoney man has done all four - and much, much more - despite being completely blind.
Michael Moore (pictured) lost his sight in his mid-twenties and in a series of arti
cles has agreed to share with Times readers what it was like to suddenly lose his sight at such a young age and realise he will never see the faces of loved ones again.
He tells us how we came to lose his sight and how living as a blind person altered his day-to-day existence.
We will learn how he fell in love, married and subsequently became a father to a son he will never see.
He shares how he embarked on courses which ultimately led to him teaching others and speaks of his enjoyment at taking part in high octane sports such as mountain biking and canoeing.
In the first instalment Michael recalls losing his sight and his reaction to the life-changing news he would never see again.
Michael was born in the early 1970s in the outskirts of Ballymoney and attended Lislagan Primary School.
He later went to Ballymoney High School before working for a family-run business.
Michael recalls the day he first realised he had a problem with his sight.
He was putting up a fence for his parents at their home and while he worked he noticed he was having difficultly seeing from his left eye.
The following day he visited an eye specialist in Coleraine who discovered he was unable to see from the left eye and referred Michael to Altnagelvin Hospital a few days later.
He underwent a CT scan which revealed the presence of a Tumour in the frontal lobe of his brain, just above the right eye.
Michael was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast that afternoon and booked in for surgery the following day.
Reflecting on those life changing few days, Michael said: "In retrospect for months before the scan i had brief periods of near blacking out - projectile vomiting, loss of concentration, severe headaches and up to the surgery I had started to speak out of the side of my mouth. All effects were caused by the growth of the tumour."
Following a marathon seven-and-a-half hour operation to remove the astrocytoma Michael was able to see perfectly with his right eye although he remained blind in his left.
However, within days of his operation Michael realised his sight was beginning to deteriorate in his right eye.
"About four days before being discharged, I had explained to the doctors that the sight in my right eye had deteriorated, best described as if someone had turned a dimmer down to about half way," he said.
"But this was thought to be post op and should clear, and I was told that no radio or chemotherapy was required.
"Over the next few months I took it easy for recovery, only going for short walks several times a day to keep active.
"In August, the sight had failed further in the right eye so I had to return to the Royal Victoria Hospital.
"Due to complications, I had a shunt implanted to maintain an even pressure of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) the fluid which surrounds the brain and the spinal cord.
"At this point, the sight had gone to very low perception of light in my right eye, no shape or form was distinguishable.
"It is difficult to explain how I felt.
"I had underwent major surgery to save my life and now was left blind with little or no hope of it returning. "After spending almost two weeks in hospital again, I was discharged.
"When I returned home, it hit home hard and for four to six hours, I sobbed uncontrollably.
"It was at this point that I decided that I needed to pull myself together and get on with life, as after all the surgery had prevented me facing certain death from the tumour."
Continued next week.
