A MOTHER-of-two who is slowly going blind is holding a fundraising event in Yate in a desperate attempt to save her sight.

Kim Milhano was born with black eyes, a rare condition called Aniridia and has no coloured ring or iris meaning she cannot filter out light. The 27-year-old former Rodford Primary School and King Edmund Community School (now Yate International Academy) student also has glaucoma, cataracts and a dislocated lens.

Kim, whose maiden name is Hanley, wore glasses as a child and was monitored regularly and her condition stabilised until recently when she started struggling to see her two young children whilst out and about.

“That is what worries me the most,” said Kim, who now lives in Kingswood with husband Carlos and son Koen, 6, and four-year-old Skye.

“It has deteriorated slowly. In the last two years I have noticed my eyes are so much more sensitive. I have to wear sunglasses a lot of the time and can only read the top line of my optician's wall chart compared to the fourth line when I was growing up.”

She added: “When I am at the park with my kids I cannot see them clearly.

“As they get older they want their independence, they don’t want to be so close to me all the time, but I worry about them running off and playing as everything is blurry.”

Kim, a care assistant at Warmley Care Home, has seen countless specialists and consultants and spent hours on the internet looking for an answer but the hereditary condition which her grandmother also suffered from was thought to be incurable.

“I was desperate to see if there was anything that can be done,” she said. “Then I found out about iris eye implants. They are seen as cosmetic surgery but they would seriously help me take the strain of natural light.

“I probably won’t ever get the eye sight for driving standards but I would go back to being able to read the fourth line on a chart and that would be brilliant.”

Kim’s operation can take place at Bristol Eye Hospital but the NHS will not fund it and she needs to raise £12,000 to pay for it.

She is holding a family fun day at Jacksons Social Club, on Station Road, Yate on Friday, August 15 (3pm until late) featuring a disco, face painting, bingo, a quiz, a raffle, penalty shoot out , a textiles sale and refreshments.

“Every penny helps and everyone is welcome,” she said. “I have enjoyed organising the event and plan to hold more before my first operation which will hopefully be in September and the second one before Christmas.”

To help in any way call Kim on 07896 722543 or visit Kim Milhano’s page on gogetfunding.com