The year was 1984 and in a little corner of Middlesex, a baby boy was just starting to explore the world, especially a local park that our family home shared a fence with that had an excellent playground.
My memories, of course, don’t stretch back that far, but I can only imagine the world through the lens of a one-year-old. Perhaps I was busy stacking colorful plastic cups, chasing after a brightly colored ball that rolled just out of reach, or maybe I was mesmerized by the flashing lights of a Fisher-Price or Tomy toy powered by those unwieldy D-cell batteries. Little did I know, the year I began cooing and babbling would also mark the birth of the Nystagmus Network, an organization that would play a vital role in my life years down the line.
Fast forward 40 years, multiple house-moves across multiple continents and I find myself today with my own family, in exactly the same little corner of Middlesex…with exactly the same park from 40 years ago around the corner! However, I’m now not the one sitting in the swings (most of the time), it is my kids who are being pushed by me, on what I like to think/hope are the same swings I sat on all those years ago.
Unlike my involvement with the local park 40 years on, my involvement with Nystagmus Network only marks 1/10th of the charity’s life. It has, however, undoubtedly made a lasting impact on me and my family. What started off as a silent direct debit 4 years ago, transformed into volunteering and then as a fully fledged trustee a year or so after. I would like to think that the charity will still be around in another 40 years and that I will continue to play my part in many of those years ahead. More so, I hope I pass my enthusiasm for nystagmus research, support and awareness raising to the next generation in those years ahead, who may also be in a position to look back over another 40 years, when that time comes around again!
Happy Ruby Anniversary Nystagmus Network!
