A Welling mum-of-three who is fighting to stop her son going blind has won a Tesco Mum of the Year Award.
Emma Salisbury, 43, has fundraised for a decade to help researchers cure choroideremia, a rare disease which causes progressive loss of vision.
She started the Tommy Salisbury Choroideremia Fund in 2005 when her son Tommy, now 14, was diagnosed.
She said: "It is the main goal in my life and I will not rest until Tommy has had some sort of treatment."
The marketing assistant has raised £400,000 to date and helped to fund the world’s first clinical trial.
She said: "We have been lucky that we happened to be in the right place at the right time.
"Obviously the researchers would have got there eventually, but they said that we brought it forward by maybe four or five years."
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Mrs Salisbury, of Yorkland Avenue, hopes NHS treatment for chloroideremia will be available in 2018.
She added: "Sometimes you just have to believe in something."
Tommy, a pupil at St Thomas More in Eltham, has already lost some of his peripheral vision and 30 per cent of his night vision.
Mrs Salisbury’s daughter Amelia, 16, is a carrier for the disease and her son Johnny, five, will be tested soon.
Mrs Salisbury said: "I am a normal mum - I do not think I have done anything special.
"I have done it because I want his future to be the same as his friends."
Mrs Salisbury received 16 nominations for her Achieving Mum Award, which she will receive on March 1.
She said: "I am really pleased because it is great publicity for the charity and for Tommy. So I need to make sure I use the year wisely."
Radio 1 presenter Fearne Cotton, who is an ambassador for the awards, said: "There are so many inspirational mums out there who don’t know just how special they are.
"I am very excited to help give these incredible mums the recognition and appreciation they deserve."
To donate to Tommy’s fund, text TOMM10 £5 to 70070.
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