‘I’m 80 and I’ve just taken on a daring wing walk at a Leeds airport - I wasn't even nervous'
‘Everyone else was petrified for me’
An 80-year-old nanna has raised more than £800 for a charity supporting people with sight loss after completing a wing walk at Leeds East Airport.
Janet Mills stood on top of a plane as it flew through the skies earlier this month, taking on the challenge in aid of the Macular Society.
While her family were nervous, Janet said she was excited to get into the air.
She said: "I wasn't at all worried, I was so excited actually.
"Everyone else was petrified for me and one of my grandchildren called me 'Mad Nanna', which made me feel even better actually.
"I have eight grandchildren who were doing much of the screaming on the day, but I could hear my daughter's scream too.”
She later described the experience as one of the highlights of her life.
Janet, of Harrogate, said: "For sure the wing walk was one of the best things I've ever done.
"It's up there with travelling the world – places like South-East Asia, South America, China and Australia.
"In our 60s and into our late 70s we classed ourselves as the 'wrinkliest backpackers in town'."
Her fundraising total has reached £820 so far.
"Getting £820 was something I never imagined,” Janet added.
"I've thanked so many people and they're just as overjoyed, even though they think I'm mad.
"I'm definitely up for doing something next year as well."
Janet was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) nine years ago. The condition has no cure, affects central vision and has meant regular hospital appointments for eye injections designed to slow its progression.
She said her eyesight has gradually worsened, and she gave up driving two years ago.
"I use glasses for long vision but the deterioration in my sight has been gradual over time," she explained.
"It's worsening for reading, particularly reading up close, and I decided to stop driving two years ago.
"It's horrible and I have to rely on my partner or public transport, but we do still get out and about."
Although she knows her sight will continue to decline, Janet said she is trying to stay positive.
"The middle of my vision is a bit blurry, but it's not bad,” she said.
"I know one day I will be at the point of being sight impaired, but not just yet.
"I'm just going to go with the flow because what more can I do?
"I have tools to help me read, I have the injections and I'm happy how I am."
She said she is thankful for the treatment now available on the NHS. Janet added: "I'm very optimistic by the fact that we have these eye injections.
"They've not been around longer than about 20 years, so if I'd developed this a few years earlier I might have lost more of my sight by now.
"These injections keep sight loss at bay and for that I'm very pleased to have them – I think eventually we'll find a cure."
The Macular Society says almost 1.5 million people in the United Kingdom are living with macular disease, the biggest cause of sight loss. The condition can leave people unable to drive, read or recognise faces, with age-related macular degeneration affecting more than 700,000 people, primarily those aged over 50.
Funds raised through challenges such as Janet's help the charity provide support services for people living with sight loss, as well as investing in research into future treatments and, ultimately, a cure.