“When Angus was diagnosed with myopia aged two, I was terrified at how his future could look,” Juan, father of Angus
Angus and his dad Juan
Angus is just like any other seven-year-old, he loves sports and his eyes light up when he talks about fun stuff he likes to do, like jumping on the trampoline with his sister Cíara, and playing tennis or cricket with his mum Saskia, and dad Juan. He also dreams of becoming a policeman, firefighter or famous cricket player when he grows up.
You would be hard-pressed to tell that since the age of just two this shining star has been living with myopia, a progressive eye condition which, without the right treatment, could put paid to his ambitions of becoming a community hero.
When Angus was a toddler, Saskia and Juan noticed that he seemed to fall over a lot and always had bruises on his head. Because of his young age, the family was referred to see Dr Antony Clark, ophthalmologist at the Lions Eye Institute for a vision assessment. Dr Clark diagnosed Angus with early onset myopia and devised a treatment plan, which included wearing a tiny pair of glasses, daily atropine drops and regular visits.
“Angus put the glasses on and looked around slowly,” says Juan. “We could tell they were helping him see clearly and from that moment on, he never wanted to take them off.”
To understand Angus’ journey, you can watch his story by clicking on the video above or here.
Children like Angus desperately need your help. Your donation today can save sight and change the lives of generations to come.
What is myopia?
Myopia is also known as short-sightedness. While many people may associate it with being a mere inconvenience which can be fixed with glasses, the reality is far more concerning.
By 2050 over 50 percent of the world’s population is expected to suffer from myopia. It is rapidly becoming one of the world’s leading causes of vision impairment, with the fastest rise occurring in young children.
People with myopia, particularly children with early onset myopia, are at an increased risk of developing high myopia, which can lead to serious eye diseases that could ultimately cause blindness.
Dr Jessica Mountford, Lions Eye Institute’s Brian King Fellow and the Head of the Functional Molecular Vision Group, says the sharp rise in cases in young children is alarming.
“The earlier you develop myopia as a child, the greater the chance it will progress as you age and develop into high myopia,” says Dr Mountford. “Without urgent intervention myopia will become one of the world’s leading causes of permanent blindness.”
Over 23,000 children in Western Australia are estimated to have myopia. We need to act now to curb the epidemic and save their vision.
Having established Western Australia’s first zebrafish ocular disease research group, Dr Mountford is now leading a groundbreaking study which aims to improve methods of identifying children at risk of developing early onset myopia, and to develop effective treatment and prevention plans.
“Both genetics and environmental factors contribute to myopia progression and we’re studying how that interaction occurs using zebrafish as a model of refractive error,” says Dr Mountford. “Zebrafish are a powerful tool for learning more about myopia as their development is rapid, their eyes are large and by five days old their retina is very comparable to a human retina.
Dr Mountford’s team is studying genes selected from human myopia association studies. They’re able to explore what happens to the structure and function of the eye in developing zebrafish when those genes are not functioning. They do this through measuring the eye during development and tracking eye movements in response to visual stimuli.
Angus’ parents can’t imagine a future where his eyesight will get in the way of achieving his dreams.
With this groundbreaking research into myopia, the hope is that children like Angus will never have to worry about losing their sight.
“When we first found out Angus had myopia, I felt so scared at how things could look for him further down the track,” says Juan. “But when you reflect on what previous research has already achieved, it makes you realise just how important it is for progress and what is possible for the future.”
It is your generosity that allows our critical research to continue for generations to come. Please donate today to give the gift children like Angus urgently need.