A woman who believed she’d never find love after sight loss has revealed how her furry companion led her to her husband.
Samantha Ralfe didn’t expect guide dog Bailey to give her the gift of sight – and romance.
The 34-year-old, who suffers with cataracts, glaucoma and nystagmus – all of which cause blindness – had accepted that she’d “never find love”.
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That was until Bailey, aged two, bounded over to Martin, 32, and his guide dog, Diesel, 10.
Now, the pair – with their pooches in tow – have tied the knot, as well as welcomed a son, Leo, four, who also suffers with cataracts.
“I had felt so isolated before,” the mum, from Merseyside, told What’s The Jam.
“While I could see blobs of colour, I was basically blind at night.
“And for years, I’d struggled to accept my sight loss – and what that meant for my future.
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“I longed for a companion and when a gorgeous golden ball of fluff came bounding over toward me, I knew I had found my match.
“But before it was decided that Bailey was mine, I had to go for a residential course.
“And while there, I got talking to a trainer – and immediately, sparks started to fly.”
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Bailey has saved Samantha from multiple terrifying experiences, including an almost life-changing accident falling off a curb face first.
But it was time for another man to enter her life.
Samantha and Martin didn’t waste time; moving in together after just one year.
Five months later, he popped the question – with a positive pregnancy test just after a few weeks.
And while their pair were told that their son would be fully-sighted, that wasn’t the case.
She said: “It was a massive shock.
“But myself and Martin knew how to help him, as we had been through it ourselves.
“And when he arrived, Bailey and Diesel stepped up to the challenge, helping us parent Leo, as well as aiding him in finding his way in the world.”
Sadly, after posting their journey on social media, they were met with “hurtful” comments.
Samantha added: “People asked how I could look after a baby when I was unable to look after myself.
“Even in public, a woman grabbed onto the handles of his pram and lifted it without asking.
“She only got nasty when I told her to ask first.
“But I don’t pay much attention, as these conditions, although challenging, have given me the greatest gift.
“I wouldn’t have met Bailey without them, or my husband, or had our son.”
Samantha previously shared how she was left feeling “degraded” when a taxi driver refused to take Bailey in his car.
She alleges he “drove off” after seeing them together and aims to raise awareness for instances such as this, as well as parenting as two blind parents, on social media.
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