Losing his sight
In 1997 Bob Vant, a school teacher in his forties, was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
"The whole experience of having the tumour - being pumped full of drugs, which made me very ill, and being told I was facing a very dangerous operation to remove it - was bad enough. But the worst part by far was sitting afterwards, thinking I'd got through the operation, then realising I might be losing my sight.
"Boy, did that really shake me to the core. The tumour had put pressure on my optic nerve and affected my sight and after the operation I found I couldn't make out numbers or letters anymore. It was like being stuck in a weird kind of light snow. I felt extremely sorry for myself thinking I was now, after everything, losing my sight."
Leaving a Legacy
Bob was devastated - the fear of permanently losing his sight was overwhelming. Luckily his fears did not become reality and his sight was restored.
In 2002 he needed another operation.
"This time I felt worse. I thought I had better make my Will and there was no question it had to be RNIB, not least because of my awful experience in 1997. I knew the feeling of how awful it would be to lose my sight and RNIB's work is so important for blind and partially sighted people. Something like that sharpens things in the mind."
Bob now feels so fortunate to still have his sight that he has chosen to leave a Legacy to RNIB to help others who have to cope with losing their sight.
Bob Vant has his own take on the topic of Legacies
"It's not a question of me feeling good about the Legacy, after all I won't be there, will I? Don't ask 'why should I leave money to a charity?'. The real question is 'why not?' I can't think of a reason why not to and it is so easy. Think of one good reason why you shouldn't...?"
Contact a Legacy Advisor
Our team of Legacy Advisors are always happy to visit you at home, speak to you on the phone or write to give you helpful advice in a straightforward, friendly way.
To contact any of the Legacy Advisors or order your free Will Guide, please call us on 0845 600 0313 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email LegacyServices@rnib.org.uk - alternatively, you can fill in our quick Wills and Legacies Advisory Service online form.