A TEENAGER who went blind in a weekend today told how he was determined to make this Christmas his best ever.

Michael Harrison, 16, of Badger Close, Padiham, lost his sight earlier this year when he was diagnosed with incurable Leber's Optic Neuropathy.

And health experts believe he is the only boy in East Lancashire with the symptoms of the disease, which affects only one in 30,000 16-24 year-olds.

Michael will still get up at 8am on Christmas Day as he does every year but the only difference will be the talking clock that wakes him.

He will use his device which beeps when the contents of a cup are nearly full to make his parents, Cath, 46 and David, 51 a cup of tea as he always does.

The family, including 12-year-old Nicola, will head down stairs, Michael guided by his memory, and gather round the Christmas tree to open their presents.

And the keen keyboard player said he will still perform his best melodies on Christmas Day to his family, which he has memorised by touch alone.

Michael said he was looking forward to enjoying the smells and sounds of Christmas which people with sight take for granted and often ignore.

Since his diagnosis in August, Michael has learned to rely on his other senses and revealed that now he can hear and smell things other people do not even realise are there.

Michael said: "It will be a Christmas like any other. It will be great. My mum and dad will try and keep it as normal as possible but I know they will fuss a little more than usual.

"Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. If we go out I will just use my white stick and if we stay in I know my way around the house really well now.

"I will need a little help opening my presents. My mum will probably do that for me. But that's OK because there is not a lot else I cannot do."

Michael thought he had got cold in his eye one Friday morning when he woke with an orange film obstructing his vision. But the following day he could not see out of it at all. And by Monday morning exactly the same had happened to his right eye and doctors broke the news that he would never see again.

Michael added: "I am so happy Christmas is here. It the best day of the year. Just because I can't see doesn't make it any less exciting."

Brenda Midgley, secretary at Burnley and District Blind Society who speaks regularly to Michael on the telephone said: "Michael is doing remarkably well. I keep being surprised every time we speak that he is still so outgoing and positive.

"He is an inspiration to other young people who are blind or partially sighted. It can be very difficult especially at this time of year, you can feel lonely in a crowd when you can't see around you. "