Free laser eye surgery, totaling over £1 million has transformed the lives of NHS and emergency service workers across the country.
As part of its ‘Thanks a Million’ campaign, Optical Express has given away over £1 million worth of free laser eye surgery to hundreds of patients across the country since it launched in 2017.
According to a national study commissioned to run alongside the campaign, the British public thought that nurses deserve the most thanks, with firefighters and doctors coming a close second and third.
It was also revealed in the national study that only one-in-five employees receive a thank you on a monthly basis, while one in seven have never been thanked at all.
Following these figures, the Optical Express ‘Thanks a Million’ campaign was designed to spread more gratitude in the workplace and show appreciation to those who serve society so selflessly.
David Moulsdale, Chairman and CEO of Optical Express, said: “Back in 2017 we launched the Thanks a Million campaign because we believe it’s important to say thank you to those who don’t often hear it and give back to the individuals who work tirelessly to make a positive impact on society. With recent times the fabulous NHS and emergency service workers have shown this to be the case even more and we hope that with the success of this campaign we’ll be able to thank more people in the future, in the way that only we can do.”
Over the last three years, Optical Express has thanked NHS and emergency service workers the length and breadth of the UK for their services to the community, with the gift of laser eye surgery, including police officers, life-boat servicemen, nurses, midwives and doctors.
In February 2020, Holly Bale from Hampshire, a specialist nurse working with HIV patients, became the ‘£1million’ patient. Her new 20:20 vision has transformed her life in ways that she could have never imagined. Having recently become a mum, Holly values the importance of having good vision to be more aware of the special moments as her daughter grows up, including taking her swimming for the first time.
Samantha Hogben, a radiographer from South London, was also among the patients who received the surgery. Her job, which sees her working over 15 hours a day, requires her to assess irregularities in bone scans and have a keen eye for detail, just one aspect of her life that has been made easier thanks to 20:20 vision.
A marine police officer from Glasgow, Jamie Byrne, also received free laser eye surgery after struggling with astigmatism in both his eyes. Working 12-hour shifts out at sea, often in total darkness, Jamie was faced with extremely dry eyes from harsh winds. Now, Jamie doesn’t need to worry about his eyesight and can respond faster to emergency situations.
These are just a selection of the special patients who have received a total life transformation thanks to 20:20 vision.
David added: “The individual stories that we have been told have been so heart warming to hear. The gift of 20-20 vision really can help in so many ways that you don’t at first realise, whether it’s at work or at home with your family. We’ve heard from patients who can do their jobs more easily and are now able to go swimming with their children, are able to run marathons confidently and could enjoy their holidays even more as they didn’t need to switch types of glasses.”
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