Hi, I'm Ella and I'm 21 and due to overprescription of steroid tablets and creams for other health problems I've developed a severe cataract which has caused me to completely lose my sight in my left eye. There is a smaller cataract in my right eye, and we aren't sure how long this will take to worsen at this stage.
The NHS have put me on a 5 month waiting list for surgery, but the optometrist I saw informed me that my sight will never be the same as a result, the surgery carries higher risk and I will never be able to see short sighted again because they only offer one type of lens under the NHS.
I'm very young to have such a severe cataract and it impacts my life so much. It makes my job harder and it makes my life harder; it causes me great deals of anxiety because others aren't aware of my issue and it's generally a stressful way to live.
I want to try and crowd fund so I can go private and get a bifocal lens, and lessen the risks of the surgery by being seen quicker.
I love photography a lot, and as a result of losing my sight it's becoming more difficult to capture images that I love and am proud of. I can't see colours very well anymore.