Carrie Beckwith suffers with a rare disorder that causes her eyes to be very sensitive to light.

But despite having to stay in the shade and needing a stick to get around, she says she would not have it any other way.

MARK THOMPSON met up with the determined Hartlepool woman.

AS hundreds of sun worshippers flock to the beaches and countryside this Summer Carrie Beckwith is happy to be left in the shade.

She was born with a number of sight disorders, including one that makes light hurt her eyes.

The 27-year-old suffers with photophobia, a condition that makes her eyes incredibly sensitive to light.

It means even looking out of a sunny window can bring pain, so Carrie keeps herself inside when possible and wears the darkest sunglasses she can find when out and about.

On top of the photophobia, Carrie can not see out of her right eye at all and has limited sight in her left – meaning simple tasks such as using a mobile phone, watching TV and recognising friends in the street take a lot of effort.

"With photophobia any kind of light hurts whether it is sunshine, a lamp or a television screen," said Carrie, from Pinewood Close, Hartlepool.

"I prefer overcast days with the sun hiding behind the clouds but when it rains it's really difficult because I can't look down to avoid the sun because the light reflects off the wet floor."

She suffers with peripheral vision and loose focus in her left eye but her sight is worsening as she gets older.

It is particularly cruel on Carrie because her two loves in life are photography and art, which she also has a degree in.

"I used to be a photographer and after taking photos with my digital camera I would manipulate them on the computer," said the Leeds University graduate.

"I even did a photography and graphic art installation at university and have also had some photos published in photography books in America.

"But I can't use my camera now and without the magnification I can't use a computer."

Her poor sight has also made it hard for Carrie to find work and she is still looking for a full-time job since leaving education in 2006.

However, it is not these problems that annoy Carrie the most but people who don't understand her condition.

"I hate using my cane because people stare at me all the time. Not quick glances but actually full stares following me as I walk past," said the former Billingham Campus School pupil.

"People think because I have a white cane I can't see anything so it's ok to stare at me. I hate it because it makes me feel like a freak. It upsets me a lot because I feel like I'm on show.

"Young people and occasionally drunk people like to shout 'watch the kerb'. This is horrible because I stumble in case there is a kerb.

"I'm scared that one day I'll ignore them and there will be a kerb and I'll fall and hurt myself. I also had a teenager stick her foot out between my cane and my foot.

"I don't think people realise how dangerous these things are to a visually impaired person."

But despite her setbacks Carrie is happy to be who she is and is determined to not let her condition stand in her way.

She said: "I am happy being who I am and if I was offered a magic tablet to give me full sight I wouldn't take it. People I love would look like strangers.

"The only thing I would wish for would for people to understand more what visual impairment is and to not think that every white cane user is total blind. Only five per cent of blind people see nothing at all."

Carrie is set to take part in this year's three-mile Race for Life event on June 15.

She will be raising money for Cancer Research UK on behalf of her aunt, Eve Scarth, who died from breast cancer in February, aged 71.

To sponsor Carrie visit www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/carriebeckwith