How a guide dog is helping this visually impaired teenager realise his dreams
When Commonwealth Games hopeful Ben Said started losing his vision, the teen thought all hope was lost. Now his guide dog Jontie goes with him everywhere, giving him a new lease on life. Find the best pet-friendly destinations near you.
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Hanging out with friends in shopping malls, hitting the beach on weekends and learning to drive – all of these activities go hand-in-hand with being a teenager in Australia.
However for Ben Said, 17, these seemingly easy tasks might as well have been Everest-like peaks. You see, Ben is visually impaired.
“It’s things like missing out on driving and the freedom that comes with it,” he, of the northern beaches in NSW, said.
“Or missing out on being able to just go and see a movie, or kick a football around with mates.
“Even at school, not being able to go into an exam with everyone else and instead having to go into a separate room and dictate what you’re saying, because you can’t read the print on the paper. It’s just all a constant reminder that you’re disabled.”
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Born with Neurofibromatosis (NFI) – a genetic condition which can lead to reduced or total vision loss – Ben has been slowly losing his sight for most of his life.
However, it was only in the past two years when his vision drastically deteriorated during a short period of time, leaving the student floundering.
“It started in June last year,” he said.
“Nobody knows why it happened, but with it I lost my independence. It became overwhelming … and sometimes unbearable.
“Growing up I didn’t really think about my vision – I thought I could do anything I wanted to do, I used to want to be a cop, for example.
“But when I started to really lose my sight, I began to realise that this was going to affect me forever.”
With doctors telling Ben his sight loss was only going to get worse and with everyday tasks becoming harder and harder – from crossing the road to walking to the shops – Ben was placed on the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT waiting list.
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Fast-forward and Ben welcomed Jontie into his life.
And in the aftermath of “months of constant doctors’ appointments”, which left Ben depressed and despondent, the arrival of this new four-legged friend could not have been more timely. Now, one year on, he has been given an entirely new lease of life.
“Jontie helps me with things like going to school, crossing roads, walking to the post office, or helping me find what I need at the shops,” he said.
“With him I can go to a football game – I may not be able to see the game, but I can still smell the smell of the popcorn, or the sound of someone scoring a goal.
“Because of Jontie, I’ve been able to do things like travel interstate or meet friends in the city … to be able just to feel like a functioning member of society who doesn’t rely on anyone else is incredible.”
Before losing his vision, the aspiring athlete was in training for the Paralympic 5000 metres but was forced to drop out.
Since getting Jontie, Ben has now refocused on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, as well as switching his sport to cycling.
A move which recently led to an amazing opportunity to join the Australian Paralympics training squad in Adelaide.
“Before Jontie I would have had to turn this down,” he said.
“It would’ve been impossible to navigate Adelaide by myself, to navigate the airport, and to fly without my parents.
“It just wouldn’t have happened. But with Jontie, I’ve been able to have the confidence to do it.
“He has essentially enabled me achieve my dreams and to hopefully eventually get me to gold.”
While Ben was one of the lucky recipients Guide Dogs NSW/ACT – who provided Ben with Jontie – still have a long waitlist of other visually impaired people in a similar situation to Ben’s who are all desperately in need of a guide dog.
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Costing upwards of $50,000 to breed, raise, and train just one dog unfortunately means the charity is unable to meet the demand – especially given the organisation receives less than 10 per cent of its costs from the government and instead relies on the generous support of donors to fund its services
“No one should feel like their life has stopped after sight loss,” he said.
“Without Jontie, I wouldn’t be able to be me. He helps me to be my own person and to have the confidence to do whatever I want to do, and the confidence to be whoever I want to be.
“With the growing number of vision impaired people in Australia, these dogs are crucial.”
Though Ben has been dealt a rough hand in life, he is living proof of the difference a guide dog can make to a person’s life.
Not only is Jontie helping the 17-year-old see a much more positive future for himself – one with Paralympic gold in the mix, potentially – he is also providing much needed emotional support.
In short, he is the literal embodiment of ‘man’s best friend.’
“I can’t imagine life without Jontie,” he said.
“With his help I know I can reach my dreams. He’s just always there, looking out for me … he’s my best mate.”
To find out more or to donate visit Guide Dogs.
Originally published as How a guide dog is helping this visually impaired teenager realise his dreams
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