My father was a rheumatologist and a long-time supporter of eye charities. He used to donate to Orbis every year and got me involved in raising money and awareness for them. My father passed away in 2011 so my husband and I decided that we needed to take up the baton.
I ran the London Marathon for Orbis and raised £5,000, much of it from some massive cake sales at work. After the marathon I thought ‘what’s next’? I was looking at the marathon when Orbis got in touch to see if I fancied doing the Great Ethiopian Run. I said yes; next thing you know, I’m hopping on a plane to Ethiopia!
In Addis Ababa, we visited one of Ethiopia’s main eye hospitals, where we learnt about the hospital itself and about the programmes set up across the country to improve eye care in rural communities. It was a humbling experience. You can’t fault the quality and commitment of the staff; the main ward had two dozen beds with plastic mattresses and the Intensive Care Unit was a two-bed room at the end of the ward.
We saw people coming in with treatable conditions that had turned into something major, because they were unable to get appropriate treatment early enough. These patients were fortunate as they were able to receive treatment; there are thousands more who aren’t so lucky. It makes you stop and think. I’m glad I visited – it really showed the importance of what Orbis is trying to do.
