Dianne’s story
“When I was told I could lose my vision, it shocked me to the core,” says Dianne.
Dianne will never forget the devastation she felt the day she was told she could face certain blindness. The busy English teacher had noticed some sudden changes in her vision, but it hadn’t occurred to her that she could lose it altogether.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to read, not being able to do my job as an English teacher, and who knows what else,” says Dianne.
Dianne was diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a blockage in the main blood vessel to her retina that causes progressive blindness. Because of its position in the optic nerve, clearing the obstruction wasn’t an option and until recently, there was no cure.
Our researchers work tirelessly to find new innovative treatments so that people like Dianne can keep their sight. Please donate today to help ensure we can continue to find sight saving treatments and potential cures.
World-renowned Lions Eye Institute ophthalmologist and researcher Professor Ian McAllister pioneered the world’s first successful treatment for CRVO, and Dianne was an ideal candidate for his trial.
The study has been 25 years in the making and is a world-first. Previously, the only treatment available for people with CRVO has been regular painful injections into the eye with vascular endothelial growth factor antagonists which can help restore sight temporarily but don’t offer a permanent cure. With the laser treatment, injections are usually continued for approximately three months post-procedure and can often be stopped indefinitely.
“The laser treatment is a way of creating a little bypass around what is probably a permanently damaged central retinal vein in the optic nerve. The specifically built laser for this type of treatment has its advantages. Patients get much better vision from this treatment, have less injections and are able to stop injections much earlier,” says Professor McAllister.
Dianne had her sight restored to normal within three months.
“I can’t imagine what life would be like if I hadn’t had the opportunity to benefit from this trial, it’s been simply life changing.”
Please donate today to help us continue life changing research like Professor McAllister’s so that more people like Dianne can access new treatments without delay.