Shezlin Parmar, a radiographer at Queens Hospital in Essex, has battled with a lifetime of poor eyesight, until receiving free laser eye surgery from Optical Express.
Shezlin, who hails originally from Stoke, has relied on -2 prescription glasses and the occasional use of contact lenses since her teenage years.
Now well into her career as an NHS Radiographer, she depends on her eyesight to assess irregularities in bone scans. Having to wear lenses or glasses for extended periods of time, often on 12 hour-long night shifts, Shezlin’s eyes would become sore, exhausted and regularly cause headaches.
Commenting on how poor vision would affect her job, Shezlin said: “Everything I do is visual, whether it be analysing and interpreting scans or looking at x-rays on a monitor. Having poor eyesight significantly reduced my confidence and increased the number of repeat scans per patient.”
After a life-long struggle with her sight, Shezlin applied for the Optical Express Thanks a Million campaign which seeks to reward NHS and emergency service workers in the UK.
Following her successful application, Shezlin is no longer dependent on strong glasses to see. Commenting on her new 20/20 vision, Shezlin added: “I’m so grateful for the gift of perfect vision. My accuracy at work has massively improved, meaning that I can now see the subtle differences in bone density without having to reach for my glasses. It brings a sense of freedom that I could only have dreamed of before the surgery.”
Since having laser eye surgery, Shezlin has also massively reduced her plastic waste. Contact lenses are considered single use plastics which are having a huge, but often overlooked impact on the environment.
David Moulsdale, Optical Express, Chairman and CEO says: “New figures from Optical Express, suggest that over 750 million plastic lenses are being flushed down the drain or put in landfill every year. Laser eye surgery is an alternative option to vastly reduce waste caused by these single-use plastics.”
Without the encouragement of Shezlin’s partner, who came across the Optical Express campaign online, she may not have the 20/20 vision she does today. The couple enjoy cinema trips and eating out, which are just two of the things that perfect eyesight will make easier.
Following a survey of members of the British public, the Thanks a Million campaign rewarded free laser eye surgery to deserving members of the NHS and emergency service workers because the results showed that they are the most deserving of thanks.
David Moulsdale, Optical Express, Chairman and CEO said: “Our Thanks a Million campaign is our way of giving back to the hardworking people of our NHS and emergency services. We are pleased to know that not only has this transformed Shezlin’s professional life, it will also allow her to enjoy the simpler things, such as watching a film in HD or reading the specials menu from a distance.”
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