A COUPLE from Hamworthy held a fundraising evening in aid of life-changing research into a rare eye condition.

Rio Greenslade, 26, and Dean Argent, 28, held the event at the RNLI College for the Tommy Salisbury Choroideremia Fund after Dean was diagnosed with the condition two years ago. He says that he only learnt that he had choroideremia, a condition which is passed down by a female relative, after paying £10 at the opticians to have a photo taken of his eye.

Dean said: “When I first met Rio in 2011, she said to get my eyes tested, after I kept bumping into things.

He added: “The optician said I had perfect 20/20 vision, but offered this extra test as they do to everyone.

“They noticed the pigment of my eye was different to normal and after sending me for blood tests at Southampton Hospital, we found out that it was this condition, which affects only 100,000 people around the world.”

His partner, Rio, said: “We chose the Tommy Salisbury Choroideremia Fund as they raise money for research into the condition to help find a cure.

She added: “Dean will eventually go blind, we just don’t know when.

“He’s giving up driving this Christmas, after passing his test only a year ago, and we are downsizing so it is easier to get around the house.”

Dean says he will also be looking for a new job to support him and his family including their daughter, Leila, 1 after 12 years as a self-employed floor layer.