54-year-old Paula from Leeds has grown in confidence since having free laser eye surgery with Optical Express, leading her to change career and train as a counsellor.
Paula, who worked as a clerical officer for the NHS, oversaw cancer patient’s medical records and spent up to eight hours a day staring at a computer screen. This caused her difficulties at work, with the NHS having to install an anti-glare screen and change the light bulbs in her office to LEDs as a last resort to help Paula’s working life.
However, these changes did little for Paula who said: “Before surgery, I would wear contact lenses for hours which would lead to severe dry eyes, so much so that I can recall times where the lenses would fall out of my eye. In a bid to make things easier, I started wearing glasses to work, but suffered from painful migraines caused by the glare from the screen.”
Battling with eye problems and severe migraines, Paula signed up for our Thanks a Million campaign, where NHS and emergency service workers are gifted free laser eye surgery, as our way of saying thanks for the work they do.
Undergoing laser eye surgery has been a life-changing experience for Paula. Not only does she now have 20/20 vision but her confidence has sky-rocketed, and she is using this new-found assurance to train as a counsellor to support vulnerable people.
Chairman and CEO, David Moulsdale said: “We are delighted to hear how laser eye surgery has transformed Paula’s working and personal life for the better.
“Our Thanks a Million campaign aimed to celebrate and reward thousands of deserving NHS workers by providing free treatment, helping to improve the lives of these everyday heroes through the gift of sight, without the barrier of glasses or contact lenses.”
“Not only will Paula be able to enjoy visual freedom without the use of her glasses and contact lenses, she has also done her part to help the environment. As well as posing a risk to eye health, contact lenses are also considered single use plastics which are having a huge, but often overlooked impact on the environment. New figures from Optical Express, suggest that over 750 million plastic lenses are being flushed down the drain or put in landfill every year3. These lenses form microplastics, pollute the oceans and endanger marine life. Laser eye surgery is an alternative option to vastly reduce waste caused by these single-use plastics.”
Optical Express launched its Thanks a Million campaign, offering NHS and emergency service workers free laser eye surgery, following a national survey of 2,000 Brits commissioned by Optical Express, which found that people who dedicate their lives to public service 'are most deserving of our thanks'.