July 20th 2024.
This morning, I spoke with Claire Sisk, a TV personality and social media influencer, who shared her story about feeling the need to conceal her blindness from her job before becoming famous. Claire, who has appeared on shows like This Morning and Steph's Packed Lunch, suffered two strokes at the young age of 29, resulting in a loss of her sight. At that time, she was a single mother working for an airline and kept her declining eyesight a secret from those around her. It wasn't until a major wake-up call that she realized she couldn't hide it any longer.
"It completely changed me," Claire shared in an interview with The Agency. She recalled waking up one morning in 2017 and realizing she could barely see anything, two months after her second stroke. "I continued working and kept it hidden from my colleagues because I wasn't aware of the Disability Discrimination Act. I was afraid they would fire me. Also, as a single mother, I was worried about what people would think. So I just kept it to myself. But at the same time, I was told that I might be completely blind by the age of 40."
Now 44 years old, Claire resolved to make the most of her remaining eyesight and show her daughter that she could overcome any obstacle life threw her way. She began making changes in her life to prevent further loss of her identity, as she felt like she had already lost so much. She would practice daily tasks like chopping vegetables and doing her makeup with her eyes closed, using a blindfold to simulate her blindness.
"I thought, the only way to prepare for complete loss of sight is to do everything I would normally do, but with my eyes shut. That way, when it happens, I can still be myself," Claire explained. "But for a long time, I was afraid to leave the house. I was scared of falling or tripping over things."
She recalled one incident where she tripped over a dog while out of the house, feeling embarrassed and still hearing the dog's screech in her head. But after a few close calls, Claire had a wake-up call and found the confidence to venture out of her house again. "I didn't want to use my white cane because I felt vulnerable and embarrassed. But after a week where I stood on a dog, fell out of a bus, and nearly got hit by a car, I realized I needed to use my cane for my own safety."
Since then, Claire has affectionately named her cane "Rick the stick," adding a touch of humor to a situation she once found embarrassing. "The day I accepted using Rick, my life changed. I felt free and had my independence back. I could be myself again. And now, I regret not doing more with my remaining eyesight."
One of her biggest regrets was not attending a Take That concert because she was afraid of not being able to see the stage. But a few months ago, she finally decided to attend a concert and had an amazing experience despite not being able to see the band. This newfound confidence has inspired Claire to pursue her goals, including traveling.
"I didn't need to see them to love everything about them. I regret not going to that concert. But now, I'm determined to do everything I've ever wanted to do," she said.
In addition to fulfilling her own bucket list, Claire is also encouraging others to do the same. She has gained fame for raising awareness about blindness through social media and TV appearances. However, her career in the spotlight began by accident when she was made redundant during lockdown.
"After applying for over 250 jobs without getting an interview, I was feeling really low. One day, I was filming myself trying to cross the road on my way to buy a Buddy the Elf Christmas bag, and my work colleagues encouraged me to post it on YouTube," Claire explained. "But I didn't feel ready to put myself out there until a stranger in a supermarket made a comment about me 'faking it'."
Now, Claire is using her platform to spread awareness and inspire others to live life to the fullest, regardless of their disabilities. She hopes to break barriers and change perspectives about blindness and other disabilities. "I want to show people that having a disability doesn't mean you can't achieve your dreams. It's just a different way of living."
Claire Sisk, a popular TV personality known for her appearances on shows like This Morning and Steph's Packed Lunch, recently opened up about her struggles with hiding her blindness from work before finding fame. At the age of 29, Claire suffered two strokes, which resulted in a loss of her sight. At the time, she was a single mother working for an airline service and felt the need to hide her deteriorating eyesight from those around her. However, a significant wake-up call changed everything.
"It completely changed me," Claire recalled in an interview with The Agency. She remembered waking up one morning in November 2017, two months after her second stroke, and realizing that she could barely see anything. "I continued working and kept my disability a secret because I wasn't aware of the Disability Discrimination Act. I was afraid of being fired. I also had a child, and as a single mom, I worried about what others might think. So I kept it hidden, but at the same time, I was told that I could potentially lose my sight completely by the age of 40."
This realization prompted Claire to make changes in her life to prevent losing any more of herself. She started practicing everyday tasks with a blindfold, such as chopping vegetables and doing her makeup, to prepare herself for a potentially blind future. "I thought, if I'm going to be blind, I'm going to be the best damn blind person out there. I want to show my daughter that no matter what life throws at you, you can overcome it," Claire said.
However, Claire's fear of being judged and her embarrassment about her disability led her to avoid going out in public. She even had a few dangerous incidents, such as tripping over a dog and nearly getting hit by a car, which made her realize that she needed to do something to make others aware of her blindness. "I didn't want to use a white cane because it made me feel vulnerable and embarrassed. But after a series of close calls, I had a wake-up call. I needed something to indicate to others that I was blind, or else I wouldn't be around for much longer," she explained.
This was when Claire started using her "Rick the stick," a nickname she gave to her white cane to add a touch of humor to the situation. "The day I finally accepted using Rick, my life changed. I felt free and independent again. I could be myself. Looking back, I regret not doing more with my life," she said.
One of her biggest regrets was not attending a Take That concert earlier because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to see the stage. However, a few months ago, Claire finally mustered up the courage to go to a concert and realized that she didn't need her sight to enjoy the experience. "I'm annoyed that I let my fear hold me back. Now, I'm determined to do everything I've ever wanted to do," she said.
Apart from fulfilling her own goals, Claire is also inspiring others to do the same. Her rise to fame on social media and TV appearances was unexpected after she was made redundant during the lockdown. "I had applied for over 250 jobs without getting an interview, which took a toll on me. One day, while I was at Tesco buying a Buddy the Elf Christmas bag, I filmed myself trying to cross the road and posted it on my personal Facebook. My colleagues encouraged me to put it on YouTube," she shared.
However, Claire was hesitant to put herself out there until a stranger in a supermarket made a comment that changed her mind. "They accused me of faking my blindness, and that's when I decided to use social media to raise awareness about it," she said. Claire hopes to break barriers and inspire others to live their lives to the fullest, just like she is doing.
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