A fundraising page has been set up to help fund vital modifications to the home of a deaf teenager from Kemsley whose eyesight is failing.

Alice Costen was diagnosed with Usher syndrome a month ago, a rare genetic condition which means she suffers with profound deafness and sight loss.

The 13-year-old has been deaf from birth but only recently she found out her sight was deteriorating more rapidly.

She has already been fitted with Bluetooth-enabled implants in her ears to restore her hearing but has now been registered blind as she only has five degrees of peripheral vision.

Mum Susannah Dower said: “I just had it down to her being clumsy but she can’t see things until they’re right in front of her and she’s constantly tripping over things as she has no depth perception.

“We went to Great Ormond Street where the consultant said they were 99.9% sure she has Ushers.

“She is going to be starting mobility training and will need to use a white cane with a red stripe, which we’re planning to cover with YouTubers’ autographs.”

Her mum started a fundraising page to raise cash to make their garden more accessible and to improve the teenager’s bedroom.

Sittingbourne Community College pupil Alice is also night blind, so struggles to see the grass, edging and stones in the garden when it gets dark and her mum worries about her getting in and out of the house safely.

The 43-year-old mum-of-three added: “She doesn’t have the biggest of bedrooms and there’s no room to move so she keeps banging into things.

“We want to make it more accessible for her and if she gets a multi-assistance dog too then there needs to be room.”

Her mum said there was a strong possibility her daughter would lose her sight completely so she wanted to make the house as safe as possible.

The family do not have all the money to make the changes so are hoping people will donate or get in touch to offer discounted help.

They are being supported by charity Look UK, which helps visually impaired children in the country and their families.

Visit the fundraising page here or email suelizlou73@gmail.com if you can help