October 1, 2020

Blindness Awareness Day will be marked on Clacton Pier with the lighting turned yellow to support little Elsie Steinbach.

The two-year-old, who regularly visits the landmark attraction with her family, was diagnosed with an underdeveloped optic nerve when just four and a half months old.

The condition ONH (Optic Nerve Hypoplasia) is very rare and was formed in early pregnancy.

It means Elsie has a severe visual impairment and she has her own Facebook page to raise awareness and combat blindness with her latest fundraiser topping £10,000.

Elsie lives in Basildon with parents, Hayley and Zak, and the family has a caravan in Harwich.

Along with her Auntie Kerrylea Collins and her family, they go to Clacton Pier about once a month.

It was Kerrylea who contacted the Pier to make a request for the lighting to be turned yellow on Thursday (October 8).

“It has been very difficult for my sister and brother-in-law but along with Elsie they have done amazingly well as a family,” she said. “Now they are trying hard to raise awareness and money for research.

“Elsie loves the Pier and feels safe there with her cousins. We will all be going to see it lit up yellow as this is a shade she can recognise.

“Fundraising has been particularly hard this year due to Covid so the Pier doing this for Elsie and us all as a family is really a lovely thing to help raise awareness.”

Elsie goes to Pre-school in Basildon where she is doing well with one-to-one help. Her Facebooks page is elsieseyearmy.

Pier director Elliot Ball said it is a pleasure to be able to support the family.

“We love to hear from our customers, and they are all important to us,” he added. “Little Elsie is battling to cope with her condition, and we are delighted to be able to back her by turning our lights yellow. They will remain that colour until October 11.”

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