Photo: Rosemary, her story featured in Fight For Sights Appeal.
The answer lies in research - research breakthroughs have already led to pioneering treatments that have changed lives and yet this remains a desperately underfunded area.
Rt Hon Baroness Boothroyd
We have been overwhelmed by the kind generosity and support of Radio 4 listeners to our recent appeal, made on our behalf by the Rt Hon Baroness Boothroyd. Our Radio 4 appeal raised an astonishing £63,897 to help us fund vital ground-breaking research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and reversal of sight loss here in the UK.
Our appeal focused on the experience of Rosemary Hallsworth, who in her 80’s is living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that is the leading cause of sight loss in the UK. Three generations of Rosemary’s family have lived with AMD. She said: “I remember my mother living with macular degeneration and how it robbed her of the ability to perform everyday tasks like embroidery and preparing meals. I now have difficulty with things like reading and sewing and I worry about my independence as my eyesight deteriorates. Recently my daughter has been diagnosed too”.
Sadly, there are another 600,000 people who like Rosemary and her daughter are living with AMD and this number is expected to more than double to 1.3 million by 2050. The condition is responsible for two thirds of visual impairment or blindness in the UK. The impact of sight loss is hard to overstate. It can often lead to feelings of anxiety, depression and even anger.
Thank you to everyone who donated to our appeal; we are enormously grateful not only for listener’s generosity but also for the opportunity to share Rosemary’s experience and highlight the impact of sight loss on people’s lives.
Find out more about the charity .