Dad-to-be hopes embroidered scans will help blind parents

Nathan Edge said it was a "complete shock" to receive the embroidered 12-week scan picture of his baby

A blind father-to-be, who was given an embroidered picture of his baby scan as a gift, plans to set up an organisation to help other blind parents.

Nathan Edge, from Mansfield, was given the tactile stitched picture of his baby son's 12-week scan by his friend Deb Fisher.

He said he had "sort of accepted" he would never see the image and said the present was "a complete shock".

Now Mr Edge and Ms Fisher plan to help blind parents access similar pictures.

'Help other people'

Mr Edge, who lost his sight at the age of 19, said: "You can create 3D scan pictures, but it's an expensive thing to do, and it's something you often to send to America to get done."

He described the embroidered scan - which was given as a surprise to him and his partner Emma - as "one of the best gifts" he has ever received.

"It never came to my mind that it could be available to me," he said.

"That gift has got me thinking of ways that we could change things for blind people in the future."

Ms Fisher, 44, also from Mansfield, said she had come up with the idea as a simple way to allow Mr Edge to "feel his baby's face and features".

Mr Edge and friend Deb Fisher now want to set up a charity to help expectant blind parents access similar embroidered scans

The pair are now looking at setting up a not-for-profit organisation - and creating a network of embroidery volunteers - to help blind parents access similar embroidered scans.

Ms Fisher said she had already started contacting volunteers to help.

"The embroidery community are amazing," she said. "I've already heard from volunteers in the south.

"I was just doing a favour for a friend but if we can get something out there, where we can help other people, that's my main aim now."

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