Growing up, 20-year-old Emily Davison spent much of her childhood in and out of hospital because of a rare medical condition affecting her eyesight, and frequently felt isolated from the world as a result.
Rather than let it hold her back, Emily- who was born with a rare condition called septo-optic dysplasia, a condition affecting early brain development which frequently causes sight loss- threw herself into her studies and won a scholarship to university.
But it wasn't until 2012 when she got her guide dog, Unity- who Emily acredits to 'transforming her life'- she found the confidence to set up her own fashion blog, Fashioneyesta.com, designed to provide fashion, style, make-up and lifestyle advice for blind and partially sighted people, aimed to make people with sight loss feel comfortable within their own skin. It now has over 1,600 regular readers.
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She says: "When Unity came along my new life began. Having her by my side I feel as if I can conquer the world. She's has enabled me to see so many places, do so many things and meet so many people. She's given me confidence. I started the blog as a hobby and it's really grown into something I'm proud of. It's all because of Unity."
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Earlier this year, Emily was also a finalist at the Guide Dogs annual awards ceremony, and hopes to become a writer when she graduates from Uni.
Emily explains on her blog: "In the course of my life as I never allowed my disability to hinder my love for fashion… I hope [my blog] will inspire other visually impaired people to explore fashion, old and new, to find their own unique style."
**Guide dogs is a charity dedicated to helping the blind and partially sighted enjoy the same quality of life as anyone else, whether it's through their *My Guide Partnership*or the Buddy Dogs Service. **
**It's one of six UK based charities selected for ITV's annual charity fundraiser, Text Santa, on tonight. People can donate by visiting www.justgiving.com/textsanta. **