A KNIGHTSWOOD runner has made a desperate plea for help to save his sight and see his young son’s face again.

Jay Semple has travelled up and down the country, taking part in hundreds of runs in a bid to raise cash to treat his retinal disease that has left him with just five per cent vision.

He needs to bring home a total of £25,000 to attend a holistic treatment centre in Mexico which could bring him one step closer to his “dream” of seeing five-year-old James’ face once again.

He told the Evening Times: “I just want to see his face again that’s my dream.

“The therapy would take me away for month, I’d be able to bring a family member with me, though James couldn’t come.

“I would miss the wee man like mad but it would be so worth it to get my eye sight recovered.

“He started school this year and I wasn’t able to see him. I haven’t been able to see his wee blue eyes since 2014, it’s torture.”

The 39-year-old, who religiously wears a kilt for his running ventures, has tried numerous treatments to regain at least some of his sight but to no avail.

In 2016 he hoped a retina gene therapy could be the answer but the examination revealed his retinas had almost entirely disintegrated.

His hope is a new holistic treatment of an organic, vegan diet mixed with specially concocted detox drinks in Mexico will resolve the issue.

After spending a month at the treatment facility in South America, he then hopes to travel to the States for a new method designed to strengthen the eyes.

If the treatments don’t work, Jay has no idea if he’ll ever be able to see his son again or achieve another dream of running in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics - just six years after almost entirely losing his sight.

Jay was born with choroideremia which causes progressive loss of vision due to a loss of cells within the retina and nearby blood vessels.

It affects around one in 50,000 people throughout the world and, eventually, those with the condition lose 100 per cent of their vision.

Jay has miraculously managed to stall his sight loss to around 95 per cent, which he contributes to his healthy diet and active lifestyle.

However, he knows eventually he won’t be so lucky.

“I know someone who went in to Mexico with the same condition as me, she had only five per cent vision and came out with 60 per cent so I’m hopeful,” he said.

“The wee man keeps me going and he takes part in the races with me.

“He’ll be doing the Great Scottish Run later this month and he came fifth last year so I’m hoping he will do well this year.

“He makes me so proud and I think he looks up to me as well which is great.”

Jay will be taking part in two English half marathons before returning to Scotland for Erskine Bridge and Hamilton 10K’s in a bid to raise the cash.

But he’s only a few hundred pounds into his massive target and he is keen to get the help of those across the city to pull off his goal.

Kind-hearted Glaswegians can donate and sponsor both Jay and his little one as they take on their running challenges across the UK.

To donate, or find out more about Jay’s efforts visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jaycruz or find Jay on his official Facebook page.