There are many charitable causes close to the hearts of our staff members. Our Dumbarton store recently saw the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser for the UK Sepsis Trust and jumped at the chance to be involved. Optical Express donated two gift vouchers to a charity fundraiser for the Trust, and the one night event raised over £2100 for the charity.
To Irene, the manager at our Dumbarton clinic, the cause is a personal one. When her lifelong friend’s husband passed from sepsis 2 years ago, none of them knew anything about the illness or symptoms. With another friend of theirs now living with the effects of sepsis, it became even more important for Irene’s friend to raise awareness. After all, if she didn’t recognise the flu-like symptoms, which include aching limbs, sickness, rash, and high temperature, she figured that other people might miss them as well.
When Irene’s friend approached her about contributing a prize to a raffle for a fundraising event for the UK Sepsis Trust, Irene says she knew she wanted to help however she could because “so many people are unaware that this is a life threatening condition. If people are aware of the symptoms then they can seek medical attention sooner and it may save a life. I, and my friend, am very grateful for the support that Optical Express has shown to this cause with their donation.”
The UK Sepsis Trust was founded in 2012 by Dr Ron Daniels BEM, and exists to fight the life-threatening condition, stop preventable deaths, and support those affected by the disease. In the UK alone, 52,000 people lose their lives to sepsis every year. But it is easily treatable with early diagnosis. The goal of the UK Sepsis Trust is to end preventable deaths from sepsis and improve outcomes for survivors. They hope that earlier diagnosis and treatment across the UK would save at least 14,000 lives a year. Our Dumbarton clinic is proud to support them in their mission.
Read more about our charity work here