Vicki Harrison, a police officer from Newcastle, has been relieved of a life-long struggle with poor eyesight, thanks to free laser eye surgery from Optical Express.
Having battled with eyesight problems throughout her entire life, the Northumbria police officer would rely on -3 strength prescription glasses and contact lenses to carry out basic daily tasks.
Vicki’s career in the custodial environment means that every day is unpredictable and having to worry about her eyes amounted to high levels of extra stress. Throughout her seven years on the force, Vicki has fallen victim to numerous violent outbreaks, only made worse due to her lack of vision.
During 12-hour long night shifts, often in harsh weather conditions, Vicki’s glasses would fog up and impede her sight. She also tried contact lenses which were unable to withstand the duration of her working day and would cause severe dry eyes.
After struggling with her eyesight at work, Vicki signed up for the Optical Express Thanks a Million campaign and was given LASIK eye surgery in both eyes. Commenting on her new vision, Vicki said: “20/20 vision is amazing. A new sense of freedom comes with not being reliant on glasses or contact lenses.
“I’d always considered laser eye surgery and I came across the Thanks a Million campaign while researching surgery myself. I was surprised by how painless the whole experience was and within just a couple of days I had perfect vision.”
Vicki’s new visual freedom allows her to experience life in a different way, massively reducing her amount of day to day stress. Alongside the personal benefits, the surgery has also reduced her impact on the environment. Contact lenses are huge contributors to the increasing problem with single-use plastic, with almost all contact lenses ending up in landfill.
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.”
This summer, Vicki will be spending her honeymoon in Thailand, where, for the first time ever she will be able to enjoy the beach without constant thoughts about her eyesight.
The surgery was gifted to the dedicated officer as part of the Optical Express Thanks a Million campaign, which rewards NHS and emergency service workers with free laser eye surgery. The campaign began in 2017 and set out to gift £1million worth of laser eye surgery.
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 survey found that they are the most deserving of thanks.
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