A 29-year-old health care assistant from Farnworth, Bolton has had her life transformed with the gift of 20/20 vision and can now continue her frontline work in the NHS.
Having worn glasses for over 10 years, Rachael was keen to apply for Optical Express’ Thanks a Million campaign, which rewards free laser eye surgery to emergency service and NHS workers.
Rachael’s job as a health care assistant consists of long hours and highly stressful situations. In 2017, Rachael started studying at the University of Salford to become a nurse but struggled to revise for long hours due to her eyes hurting from wearing contact lenses for more than the recommended time.
Before undergoing surgery, Rachael said: “Wearing glasses at work became an issue for me. When I was on the ward, my glasses would continually steam up meaning I had to leave severely ill patients to sort them out.
“I can even recall one time when I was carrying out CPR on a trauma patient and my glasses fell onto them, which was very stressful and made me feel anxious to wear my glasses again at work.”
Since having laser eye surgery in both eyes, Rachael feels less concerned at work and can do her job more efficiently without worrying about her glasses falling off or steaming up.
Commenting on her new 20/20 vision, Rachael said: “I am delighted I signed up for Thanks a Million and have seen improvements across every area of my life. One of the biggest changes for me is that I can now study without my eyes feeling dry or tired.”
Following a survey of members of the British public, the Thanks a Million campaign rewards free laser eye surgery to deserving members of the NHS and emergency service workers because the survey found that they are the most deserving of thanks.
Dawn, Head of People at Optical Express, said: “We are delighted to hear the impact laser eye surgery has had on Rachael’s working and personal life. Not only will Rachael be able to enjoy visual freedom without the use of her glasses and contact lenses, but she has also done her part to help the environment. Daily disposable contact lenses are not biodegradable and are commonly made from hydrogel, silicone hydrogel, or on-hydrogel variants which are having a significant negative impact on the environment. Laser eye surgery is an alternative option to vastly reduce waste caused by these single-use plastics.
“As a nation, we all share a great sense of pride in our emergency services, and the British public told us that they believe these amazing men and women deserve the most thanks – and we wholeheartedly agree.
“We wanted to reward them in our own special way by providing free treatment, to help improve the lives of these everyday heroes. Over the coming months, our goal is to offer some of the hardest working people the freedom of having better than 20/20 vision, without the barrier of their glasses or contact lenses.
“We’re delighted to have given so many deserving people free laser eye surgery through the Thanks a Million campaign, and we are looking forward to continuing to improve lives.”
Optical Express launched its Thanks a Million campaign, offering NHS workers free laser eye surgery, following a national survey of 2,000 Brits commissioned by Optical Express, which found that people who dedicate their lives to public service 'are most deserving of our thanks'.
To learn more about the Thanks a Million campaign, and hear first-hand how those treated have benefited from free Laser Eye Surgery with Optical Express, view their patient testimonials online here.
If, like Rachael, you want to experience life in crystal clear high definition without the need for glasses and/or contact lenses, book your free consultation today.
Book a FREE consultation