Close your eyes for 20 seconds, it’s difficult isn’t it. Imagine your life without vision, even more difficult.
You and I are so lucky. If we have a vision problem we can do something about it. A quick visit to the
opticians to get glasses or contact lenses, will usually solve the problem. If vision loss is caused by
cataract (a cloudy lens, usually developing in older age), we are able to have cataract surgery.
In fact a cataract operation is the most common operation in the .
But what if we didn’t have access to these basic services? This is the harsh reality faced by people
in developing countries in . People who simply need spectacles or a cataract operation, are
effectively blinded due to a severe lack of resources.
You can help! In November I am going to , as a volunteer, with the charity Vision Aid Overseas.
A team of 8 of us will be testing eyes and providing spectacles for people who otherwise would not
have access to basic eye care.
I am so passionate about this project because for the very first time our team will include a consultant
Ophthalmologist (a surgeon). This means we can also help those with cataract (these people cannot
be helped with spectacles). If it works well, projects in the future may also include Ophthalmologists.
In the , cataract operations are performed on the NHS, paid for by taxpayers money, in
there is no such system. We need to raise money to allow us to help as many people as possible.
How you can help
Take 10 mins to watch this video on the internet. Type ‘Lifeline 2005’ into the youtube search engine
or follow the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdu3hvq_rQw
Please make a donation to my project via www.justgiving.com/lauracrowther (remember to gift aid it).
Tell your friends to do the above, email them the links, get them enthused.
Join my facebook group, and get your friends to join it too.
Organise a fundraising event, such as charity come dine with me, a coffee morning, a bring and buy,
an auction or any other way you can.
Become a member of the charity, visit the website http://www.vao.org.uk/
Donate used spectacles to the charity, you can take them to any vision express opticians, and donate
them for free.
Let me know if you have a social group where I could do a presentation, for example a
church group, a sports club, golf club, or work event.
Thanks for your time, maybe together we can make a difference to people’s lives!
Laura Crowther
Optometrist
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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving –
they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly
to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s
the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
