A ten-year-old boy with a sight loss condition is taking on the Teignmouth Promenade parkrun tomorrow (March 15) as part of his efforts to fundraise for the Macular Society.

When he was seven, Archie Faulkes was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Best Disease, which can cause sight loss.

He hopes to raise at least £500 for the Macular Society to fund research into the condition in the hope that one day medical research will find a cure.

As well as Teignmouth Promenade parkrun Archie will also be cycling, ‘until I can’t pedal’ and bake for cake sales at his school and football club.

Archie is taking part in the civic duties award at school. Participants need to choose a charity, support the local community and learn a new physical and non-physical hobby. Archie chose to support the Macular Society after taking part in the charity’s Christmas campaign alongside his mum, Sian, who also has Best Disease.

‘He then selected to learn to run a 5k, and started baking,’ Sian explained. ‘He felt this would also lend itself to supporting the Macular Society with a sponsored 5k, school bake sale, football bake sale and a 10k cycle, which he will do at Torquay Velopark on March 29.

Archie hopes his fundraising will contribute to research so that ‘one day with all our help we will live in a world free from macular disease.’

Archie’s condition came to light after a routine eye test. Sian recalled that the optician told her not to panic as he referred them to the hospital. ‘I really wasn’t prepared for it,’ Sian admitted.

She describes her son as ‘a little lightning bolt’.

‘He’s not interested in gaming, like some of his friends. He’s playing football or cricket or running around. He’s always outside on his bike or a scooter. If there’s something to jump off, he’ll jump off it. He’s just one of those really busy, active children. That will all change if he can’t see.’

Instead of worrying about what the future holds for Archie, Sian is focusing on raising money for medical research.

‘I keep thinking that by the time Archie gets to 40, the world will have completely changed,’ she said.

‘When I was nine, there were no iPhones; the world was so different. Medical science is improving the quality of life for everyone. Maybe it can change Archie’s life. Maybe my own. For my son, for our children’s children, if there’s anything we can do to stop this, we absolutely must do it.

Donations to Archie’s fundraising appeal can be made via his JustGiving site: https://www.justgiving.com/page/archie-ca

Best Disease is an inherited condition that affects the macula of the eye. Although it is a condition that people are born with. The disease starts causing changes to the macula in childhood but sight loss doesn’t usually occur until later in life.

There is currently no treatment for Best Disease although many advances are being made in gene therapy as a possible treatment.