A MAN has explained how the love of his family - and golf - has helped him cope with losing most of his sight.

Twenty five years ago, Gavin Burden was 21, working as a carpenter in Salisbury while thinking about his career options. Free time often meant a group of friends getting together and playing football.

In 1995 Gavin had been suffering from migraines for two years and when playing football had started to struggle with his vision. “One Sunday morning I was playing and I couldn’t work out whether I could see three footballs or no ball at all.”

Gavin drove his car home and made an appointment with his GP. An urgent MRI brain scan followed. The results of the MRI were about to change everything, forever.

December 3, 2020, marked the 25th anniversary of Gavin being diagnosed with a tumour in his brain. At 8am that day in 1995, at Southampton General Hospital, Gavin’s surgeon Peter Lees carried out a craniotomy to try to save Gavin’s sight.

“They told me this type of tumour was a one in a million chance. I was devastated to be told about my sight loss."

The medics believed Gavin could have harboured the slow-growing tumour since as young as five-years-old. The condition caused Gavin to suffer sight loss of 75 per cent.

Gavin said: “They told me this type of tumour was a one in a million chance. I was devastated to be told about my sight loss. It’s amazing to think I have now lived with the tumour for almost 25 years. I have had to overcome many hurdles and still am doing so to this day.”

One of his first jobs after rehabilitation was working with young adults with learning disabilities at Salisbury College, where he also studied for a further adult teaching qualification.

Gavin later “really enjoyed” developing features in the entertainments section, and producing a restaurant guide, for his local newspaper, the Salisbury Journal. He enjoyed five years as a personal development worker for autistic young people before his current role as a project manager working in property management. Gavin said: “I love a challenge and see myself as a problem solver, which inspires me to succeed.”

In recent months, Gavin made the tough decision to give up his full time career.

But he hopes to help young people with sight problems in future, and has found a focus for his energy at a local golf club.

Gavin added: “As they say, not all disabilities are visible.

“I also have a lively sense of humour and have plenty of determination to see me through.

How golf has helped Gavin

Having the ‘advantage’ of narrow sight led Gavin to discover a new love in 2010 while using the park and ride to get to work in Salisbury from his home in Laverstock.

“I’d like to get there nicely on time so I’d often find myself talking to the park and ride site manager, called Pete. He was a lovely guy and I soon realised he loved playing golf. I started to think that despite my vision issues I might be able to concentrate and focus on the golf ball when swinging a club.”

With Pete’s encouragement, Gavin joined Salisbury and South Wilts Golf Club. He has never looked back.

“Obviously there were lots of good, bad and ugly shots but I connected with a few and I was hooked! I have been a member there ever since,” he said.

Gavin found if he connected well he could watch the start of the ball in the air in its travel. Like all golfers, he could also soon “feel it” around the impact of hitting the ball, knowing instinctively if the ball had gone to the right or the left.

“Becoming a regular player, playing with good mates, I now absolutely adore golf. I love it, and love the banter with my friends as this is so important to me and them too.

“Playing golf makes me feel so alive and is actually crucial to my health and well-being. The banter and laughter with my golfing buddies is the Coke to my spiced rum, it’s essential – and I thank all of my friends at Salisbury and South Wilts for helping me to enjoy the game so much.”

Gavin’s new sport led him to make lots of social connections. For some years now he has organised annual golf trips in the UK for groups of around 20 players.