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As a regular parkrunner and as a Dispensing Optician with a passion for not only encouraging people to express their personalities through individual and unique ‘eyewear’ – it goes without saying ‘eyecare’ is also a ‘top priority’ as part of my professional remit.

It’s part of my job, to pass on advice about how to look after your
eyes, and it’s really hit home recently, because, my great aunt, who at 94 years young, has sadly, lost the central vision in her left eye, due to a diagnosis of Wet Aged Macular Degeneration (WAMD). This was diagnosed in December 2017, and she lost her central vision by April 2018. It’s very sad, as at 94, reading and watching TV are a huge part of her life. The care and prevention of her right eye is now paramount.

Unfortunately, it is an increasing statistic with an ageing population,
AMD is the most common cause of sight loss in the developed world. In the UK more than 600,000 people are affected by AMD. 
It affects 1 in 200 people over the age of 65 in the UK. By the age of
90, this figure increases to 1 in 5. (Macular society).

As half of sight loss is avoidable, I want to take the opportunity to
raise the awareness of how important it is to look after your eyesight, and I undertook the ‘Journey to the centre of the eye’ during National Eye Health Week until 11th October (World Sight Day) in order to capture your attention and if you can donate to @fightforsightuk, so they can continue the amazing research work they do, then it will have been worthwhile.

The eye research and treatment charity ‘Fight for Sight’ talked about inviting people to be part of what it calls ‘a massive adventure on a small scale’. This sounded right up my street and so #MyEyeJourney began at this moment. It was an app that played during the whole of my 10K race that took me on a journey to the centre of the eye. It kept me focused and took my mind off the length of the race.

THE FIGHT AGAINST SIGHT LOSS

Sight is the sense that people fear losing the most. Every day 250 people start to lose their sight in the UK. Please help Fight for Sight to end blindness and sight loss by making a donation.   

Fight for Sight is dedicated to funding pioneering research to
prevent sight loss and treat eye disease. The charity’s overall research
commitments amount to £8m for more than 160 research projects at 49 different UK universities and hospitals. Currently Fight for Sight are only able to fund one in eight of the eye research projects they receive. Gene therapy and stem cells promise so much for the future, but if there’s not enough funding we’re never going to get an answer.

Please dig deep and sponsor me for my 10K Journey to the centre of the eye. Your support could help fight for Sight with the next big research breakthrough.  Thank you.