Hello again 👋

If you are reading this - THANK YOU!

We are busy preparing for our annual fundraising efforts for Moorfields Eye Charity. We would be SO grateful if you could make a donation to support Moorfields and the NHS.

As most of you will know, our amazing Maisie was born completely blind in her left eye because of a very dense congenital cataract (we had no idea babies could have cataracts either) and from the moment she opened her eyes we embarked upon a long and at times uncertain journey to establish some useful vision in her eye. She had surgery at 5 weeks old to remove the cataract and this was followed by many, many appointments, around 15 pairs of tiny glasses so far, too many custom-made contact lenses to count (only 1 was eaten by 2-year-old Maisie) and what is nearly 6 years of aggressive patching therapy. Maisie has to cover the eye she can see with every day for 6 hours in an attempt to force the brain to connect the visual pathways as her brain doesn't use her left eye when she isn't patched because her eyes don't work together. She is severely visually impaired during these hours and an absolute hero. My word, the patching days have been SO LONG, but it also feels like only the other day we were scared with our newborn in the family support room at Moorfields being given an overwhelming amount of information and potential outcomes.

We are so fortunate that Maisie's eye situation has remained stable the past year. At her last appointment she had a slight improvement in her vision which is wonderful given all her hard work. She continues and has continued to be seen throughout the pandemic every couple of months. 

Maisie really looks forward to her visits, which is unbelievable when we think about what is done to her at the visits! It is such a fantastic place. I can't say it enough. The staff have adapted to the ever-changing guidelines to ensure there are play staff on hand and with social distancing they provide an individual sanitised play pack for each child in the waiting area. The doctors all make sure Maisie is happy and relaxed before attempting any checks by talking to her, making her feel special and congratulating her on being such a 🌟. When you are seen by anyone there, it feels like they have all the time in the world for you. We are never rushed, our concerns are never dismissed and the staff take the time to explain things in terms we understand.

Eye care, patient care and technology is improving all the time. Moorfields deals with everything from eye injuries to genetic conditions to cancer. We are all so lucky to have a world-leading eye hospital on our doorstep. The team at Moorfields Eye Charity work tirelessly to support all aspects of the hospital which will benefit all of us in some way one day. Eye health is crucial for everyone. By supporting Moorfields, you are investing in your own future when you - or the person you love the most in the world - may need treatment to save their sight.

This year the Eye to Eye walk is back in central London. It will be a celebration of Maisie as it is each year and also a celebration of being able to do something a bit "normal" again. It will definitely be emotional and feel-good. We have the whole family walking together with Maisie and Milo's 3 cousins - Daphne, Ivan and Baby Solomon - walking five miles each. It's a long way for little legs and an impressive feat when you are only 4, 5, 8 and 2 months old!

This year we also have the fabulous Auntie GFub aka Dr Kate Nowicki making her Eye to Eye debut. Kate has played a pivotal role in Maisie's eye life. She taught me how to put in a contact lens by letting me try on her, she started an exclusive contact lens club to support Maisie and has bought so many brilliant eye gifts including a contact lens case that looks like a pair of cherries 🍒  and now she is pounding the pavements on a Sunday morning to help us raise some more money.

We are honestly blown away and so touched by how supportive our friends and family are each year. Maisie is the poster girl of Moorfields Eye Charity because of your continued kindness and generosity and the outstanding amount we raise for them. Please help us to continue this momentum. Any amount makes a huge difference when put together. This Christmas I performed alongside Rowan Atkinson CBE at the Moorfields Christmas Carol service....just think of the dizzy heights you could take me to next year if we are top fundraisers again! 😂

In all seriousness, your donations truly help turn what is a challenging situation into something so positive, exciting and happy for us all.

If you are still reading THANK YOU! (and pleeeeeease chuck us a few quid🙏❤️👀😀)