Maureen, an ophthalmic nurse at Optical Express, will be volunteering for four weeks on a hospital ship with charity organisation Mercy Ships. She will be treating children suffering from debilitating eye conditions such as cataracts, providing the care that we often take for granted in the UK.
Mercy Ships volunteer and Optical Express employee Maureen said: “I am excited to travel to Sierra Leone and I am really looking forward to the experience. The ship is equipped with state of the art medical equipment and first class medical staff to ensure the best care possible, there is everyone you would need on board from chefs to surgeons. I am nervous about going so far away from home, but I know it will be once in a lifetime opportunity. Training as an ophthalmic nurse has been a learning experience and being able to take my skills and apply them to volunteer in this capacity is a privilege.”
Spending four weeks on the ship as an ophthalmology day surgery nurse, Maureen will work alongside a comprehensive team of pharmacists, radiographers and speech therapists, optometrists and surgeons. Her role will include preparing the patients’ eyes for surgery and observing their recovery, as well as assisting the surgeon and giving post-operative information to children and their families.
David Moulsdale, Chairman and CEO of Optical Express, said: “At Optical Express we champion charity initiatives as a company, as well as the individual efforts of our employees. We are delighted that our employees share our company values of giving back, and drawing attention to the provision of vital eye care services for those in need is all the more important to us.”
Maureen is fundraising for the trip in order to cover her travel expenses, medical costs and living arrangements. She plans to meet some of the costs herself and she will donate additional fundraising efforts to the ongoing work of Mercy Ships.
To donate to Maureen’s JustGiving page for her journey to Sierra Leone please click here. Teams at Optical Express have already raised over £190 to support her in her efforts by organising a dress down day, with the Moulsdale Foundation, a charitable organisation founded by Optical Express Chairman and CEO, David Moulsdale, matching all donations that were made on the day.
Over the last 33 years the Moulsdale Foundation and companies owned and controlled by founder David Moulsdale have supported hundreds of philanthropic endeavours, donating over £33 million to worthwhile causes in the UK and abroad. By the end of the year, this will have risen to over £34 million.