PEOPle'S Stories

In September 2018, our patient Amreeta's journey from debilitating short sightedness to freedom from glasses was broadcast on the BBC1 program "One day that changed my life". She wanted to spend a few months exploring Asia & Australia but was worried about travelling to remote places with poor vision & dependant on her glasses and contact lenses. So we implanted tiny ICL lenses in her eyes and she went off on her adventure, feeding elephants in Thailand and skydiving in Australia.

Read more about ICL lenses: https://bit.ly/2Rofdh3

Attila is fit, trains hard and looks good with a great six pack. But he can't compete in body building competitions in glasses. He also loves his retro, steel fixie (fixed wheel) bicycle, but glasses and fixies weren't a good mix either. He wanted to look good AND to see well.

After LASIK he says his vision is "fantastic", he's safer on his bike and he's got his mojo back.

Click to see the video and hear about Attila's mojo and the difference LASIK has made.

Well done Heather!!! This girl can! Heather's a mum and charity worker who fulfilled a childhood dream of swimming 13 miles from Inishowen, County Donegal to Portstewart, County Londonderry. Heather wrote: "... I stepped into the cold, 15 degree Atlantic Ocean at Stroove Beach, with the vast Foyle River to my right, the Innishowen headline to my left and in front, pretty much just horizon as far as the eye could see, other than a slim line where I knew Port Stewart was roughly straight ahead ..." She made it and raised nearly £4000 for Outdoor Recreation NI & The Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).

Click to see the video about Heather's laser eye surgery & read about her swim in the Belfast Telegraph: 

Glasses were too much of a hassle for Gary at work and especially when touring on his Harley. Working with safety glasses over his glasses at work was difficult. And the final straw was when he went touring on his bike in Europe. If he got a text he says it was "helmet off, gloves off, reading glasses on, read the text on his phone, glasses off, gloves on, helmet on, then repeat when the reply text came through!" The treatment was painless and its been "absolutely fabulous" since then.

Watch the video to hear Gary talk about his treatment.

Titus and his wife were blinded by cataracts. His daughter runs a small shop so she couldn't care for him all day. His grandson herded Titus' goats but his schooling was being affected. When Titus’ vision deteriorated further he couldn’t plant his crops and was facing a hungry winter. A hospital vision assessment team came to his village and a few days later he had sight saving cataract surgery. His wife has had surgery too and now they plant crops, herd goats and feed their chickens. His daughter is able to focus on her business and his grandson is getting on with his studies. Titus' life has been changed from dependency to dignity and the family's quality of life has improved.

Click here to watch Titus' story.

Where are those specs Jonny?" Jonny wrote in his blog, and went on to say "I know, I know, they made me look intelligent and handsome - but for the sports I enjoy they were a bit of a handicap (golf when it rains and skiing, all the time). So, in October 2014 I decided to have lens replacement. After extensive research and several visits to different surgeons I selected Mr Mark Wevill. I am pleased to say that all went really well. I now read without specs and can also do all my sports now without any extra help. Fantastic.

Read Jonny's blog at: http://blog.pecreative.co.uk/2015/02/where-are-those-specs-jonny.html

RAF Flight Lieutenant Fay doesn't just ride a mountain bike. She is a sponsored, gravity enduro racer who loves the challenge of guiding her high tech, full suspension bike down rock and root covered single track, fuelled only by adrenalin. Since having her LASIK treatment, she has won UK events & competed on the world series circuit in Europe. LASIK helped get her there but it's mainly thanks to training hard, her sponsors and her greatest supporters: her man and her pup.

Watch the video to hear Fay talk about her treatment.

Shona had thick glasses and she was tired of having to buy prescription glasses and sunglasses. She couldn't go swimming with her children and couldn't play sports. She says the surgery "has made such a difference, it's amazing, I can do everything!" Now she is able to do her HGV licence and is starting a new career.

Watch the video to hear Shona talk about her treatment.

Laura says we've changed her life with laser eye surgery. But she had already lost 6 stone in 2 1/2 years before she had her laser treatment. She says "No, it hasn't been easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is!" Now she's a UK Drug Free Bodybuilding Association competitor who has to look good and see well.

Watch the video to hear Laura talk about her treatment.

Christy surfs in Bali as much as possible and designs biodiverse, water sensitive, low maintenance landscapes as part of the Design With Nature team. Their inspiring and sustainable designs were awarded a gold medal by the Royal Horticultural Society. How does Christy combine the two? Well, he tries not to get beach sand in his laptop!

Watch the video to hear his laser eye surgery story.

A few years ago Keith says he was just a runner doing parkruns, he'd never done a triathlon and couldn’t swim front crawl. In 2016 he represented GB in his age group in the European Triathlon Championships. So, what happened in between? He learned to ride a bike fast, swim doing bilateral breathing, trained hard and in 2013 he had lens replacements. On his Virgin Money Giving page he explains: " ... I had lens replacement eye operations to correct my previously appalling short sight. Result? 20/20 vision. My (triathlon) swim last year was a big problem because I couldn't see properly. This year I will be able to, thanks to the eye ops. I'm lucky enough to have been able to pay to improve my sight, but there are countless people worldwide who can't see & for whom a small donation would make a huge difference."

In 2019 he represented GB and won the bronze medal in his age group in the European Middle Distance Duathlon Championships in Viborg, Denmark (see https://bit.ly/2J65zdt). Congratulations on your achievements, Keith!

Pam says that before her lens exchange surgery she had difficulty getting her contact lenses out and they dried out her eyes. She also had difficulty putting on eye make up. When she lifted her glasses to put it on, she couldn't see what she was doing. She couldn't see her phone when it rang. She says "it was frustrating, really frustrating ... your sight goes slowly and your glasses get thicker." Then she had her lenses exchanged.

Click here to watch Pam's story.

If Simon was having a bad day in his contact lenses then he couldn't bat for his Eastern All Stars cricket team. Coaching the GAD Khalsa under 10 football team in his thick glasses was also difficult. Simon writes: “My wife had been pestering me to get my eyes corrected as I was very short sighted. When I met Mark for the first time I knew I would be in safe hands. After going over all my tests he asked me first why I wanted to have the surgery and really understood my point of view. Once I had left I knew instantly there would only be one place I would get my surgery done. I am now one month on from throwing my glasses away. Mark and his entire team have been world class in their care for me and always done with a smile on their faces. I have no hesitation in recommending Mark."

Jake was struggling with his eyes drying out during long hours at a computer and when running especially in the dark winter months. When he started doing wild running and struggled with his first Wolf run (woods, obstacles, lakes & fields) he decided to have LASIK. Jake writes: "I'm extremely happy with the results of my surgery. I put up with being short sighted for many years, it's a brilliant feeling to be driving without glasses or going for a run and being able to see where I'm going! I'd recommend Mark & his team to anyone thinking of having this surgery. Many Thanks!"

Pauline says everything was a blur. She belongs to a church fellowship with many ladies her age. They've had cataract surgery and said she wouldn't believe the difference the surgery makes. After her cataract surgery, Pauline says her eye is "marvellous, it surprised me, the colours are brighter, I can read, it is unbelievable!" Did she want her other cataract removed? "Yes, please" was her answer.

Click here to watch Pauline's Story