- Author, Alex McIntyre
- Role, BBC News, West Midlands
A seven-year-old boy and his assist canine have starred in a particular version of The Beano written for visually-impaired kids.
Alex McQueen, from Sutton Coldfield, and golden retriever Chance featured in Beano Presents – A Buddy For Life, which revealed on Wednesday.
The comedian teamed up with charity Guide Dogs to create the version, which included a personality visiting the Guide Dogs centre in Bishop’s Tachbrook, Warwickshire.
Alex’s mum Lindsey mentioned: “For him, he feels like it is all really good fun and ‘there’s me and Chance and we’re in this cartoon and it’s great’.”
Alex has had Chance as his buddy canine for 2 years after he was left with bilateral optic atrophy – harm to the optic nerve – following a bout of meningitis when he was three weeks old.
Mrs McQueen mentioned he has lowered sharpness in his imaginative and prescient, struggles to see sure colors and has no peripheral imaginative and prescient in his proper eye, amongst different signs.
He additionally has developmental delay together with his speech, and his brother Ross, 9, voiced Alex on the audio model of the comedian.
Alex was paired up with Chance with assist from the charity, who Mrs McQueen mentioned had been “wonderful”.
Having beforehand been anxious round dogs, Mrs McQueen mentioned Alex now recurrently seeks out Chance for cuddles.
“(Chance) has received probably the most stunning temperament on the earth, he’s simply so pretty,” she added.
The comedian’s storyline featured Erbert, one of many Bash Street Kids, discussing his recent sight-loss analysis with pals and making a go to to the Guide Dogs National Centre.
Alex was considered one of quite a few visually-impaired young individuals who have been included within the version.
Craig Graham, editorial director at Beano Studios, mentioned it was necessary to boost consciousness in regards to the affect it could have on kids.
“At Beano, it is necessary to us to replicate children’ experiences and assist them navigate life with the enjoyable and mischief that each one children ought to get to get pleasure from,” he mentioned.
Alex Pepper, head of accessibility at Guide Dogs, mentioned the partnership would assist kids study extra about visible impairment.
“With Erbert opening up about his visible impairment to the Bash Street Kids for the very first time, we hope to encourage individuals to really feel extra comfy sharing their sight-loss expertise,” he added.
