A 12-year-old schoolgirl, Lily-Rae, who is gradually losing her sight, was overwhelmed when actress Kate Winslet stepped in to help her achieve her “visual bucket list.” The star of Titanic contributed $5,000 for Lily-Rae to experience the Northern Lights and also invited her and her mother for a theater night in London.
Lily-Rae, from Nottingham, England, was diagnosed with Stargardt disease last December, a genetic condition that leads to central vision blurriness. Her mother, Emma, initiated a GoFundMe campaign to fund various visual experiences for her daughter before her condition worsened. Moved by Lily-Rae’s courageous journey, Winslet reached out personally to offer her support.
The two traveled to London, where they met Winslet before attending a performance of My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican Theatre. Emma described the encounter as feeling like they had known each other forever, praising Winslet’s warmth and humility. Additionally, Winslet arranged for Lily-Rae to fulfill another item on her list: feeding tigers at Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot.
Emma expressed immense gratitude for Winslet’s contributions and efforts to raise awareness about Lily’s condition. To express her thanks, Lily-Rae created a Braille card for Winslet and her family. The GoFundMe campaign successfully raised over £10,000 for various activities on Lily-Rae’s visual bucket list, which includes dreams of visiting iconic sites such as the Eiffel Tower and Pompeii.
Lily-Rae’s eyesight issues began at age five, leading to difficulties in reading at school. Stargardt disease affects approximately one in 10,000 individuals and primarily causes central vision blurriness; however, there is hope that she may retain some peripheral vision. Currently, she can see only up to six feet away and requires a font size of 64 on her laptop. Despite these challenges, Lily-Rae maintains an optimistic outlook.