Sometimes you just know you’ve found the one.
Steph has never seen her wedding dress – or her husband Rob – but she knows they’re both perfect for her.
Growing up in a typical Australian household, Steph dreamt of one day getting married and having a home and a family of her own. The chance to travel the world with her future husband and children was her idea of perfection. Then at just 19, Steph was diagnosed with a rare retinal disease called Cone-Rod Dystrophy. Today Steph is one of over half a million Australians who have low vision or blindness. Luckily for Steph she is not alone. There’s a furry angel by her side.
When Steph met Rocky.
After battling through a rapid change in vision, Steph reached out to Guide Dogs for support. “I wasn’t too sure about it, but I went along for a half-day trial with a dog named Leo,” she says. “I started crying and thinking, ‘Oh my God, I can get my independence back.’ My fiancé Rob said he’d never seen me walk so fast and freely until that day. It gave me so much confidence!” Steph immediately applied for a Guide Dog and soon a beautiful black Labrador trotted into her world. “Rocky and I clicked immediately,” Steph says. “He has changed my whole outlook on life. He’s been great not only for my independence, but for my mental health too. His companionship is incredible.”
A dream dress for a dream wedding.
There was one more obstacle Steph was anxious about: finding her dream wedding dress – without being able to see it. “I heard all these stories about people trying on wedding dresses and knowing it’s the one,” Steph says. “I was like, ‘That’s not going to happen to me.’ “I tried on about twelve dresses, but nothing felt right. In the end I took my brother’s choice and added an extra layer to the skirt – because I wanted the big princess wedding. “When that big layer went on with the beautiful satin belt just underneath the bust, I got goose bumps and I went, ‘Oh my God, this is the one.’ “Being able to know that and feel it without seeing the dress was just incredible.”
Life-changing generosity.
“If I hadn’t been matched with Rocky, it would have been harder to regain my confidence. I may not have met someone I love and had the wedding I’d always dreamt about. All of this is thanks to Guide Dogs and the supporters who give to Guide Dogs.”
Every single day, Australians just like Steph are told they will become blind.
Every year, Guide Dogs organisations across Australia change lives through breeding, raising and training remarkable dogs, and by providing orientation and mobility support. This is all thanks to the generosity of Australians just like you and, in fact, a large part of the charity’s funding comes from people who leave a gift in their Will to Guide Dogs.