It was midnight at the oasis - but sadly none of us could see it. For most people with retinitis pigmentosa, the onset of night means the arrival of almost total blindness. Others were in the dark even under the mad midday rays of the Sahara thanks to faulty rod and cone cells robbing them of any useful vision at all. And, unless we find a cure, that is something the rest of us are resigned to experiencing too. So please dig deep and help support all the wonderful - and increasingly promising - research being funded by the generosity of people like you.