Leigh woman thanks fast acting opticians who saved her eyesight

Jo Mellor, 58, discovered problems with her vision after experiencing a continuous shimmer and flashing streaks of light in her left eye, but was unable to get an appointment with her regular opticians.

After seeking for an alternative in Leigh, she found Gill Opticians, an independent practice in the Spinning Gate Shopping Centre, who quickly referred her to hospital.

She said: “I was getting really downhearted because I knew that if I had a detached retina and I couldn’t be seen anywhere I could lose my sight, so I was really scared.

“But finally getting into Gill was such a relief. They saw me straight away, taking all the photographs and everything I needed.”

After hearing Jo’s symptoms, dispensing optician Clare Raynes organised for her to see optometrist Aqeel Mahmood in the testing room, who knew the problem as soon as he saw the results.

“It was a shock at first and I cried, but he rang the hospital straight away and organised for me to be seen as soon as possible. Once I knew what was happening and the process, I knew it was going to be okay.

“Aqeel was just as thankful to Clare for the fact she didn’t turn me away; I was just so grateful to both of them for taking care of me the way they did. They were amazing.”

Retinal detachment can cause blindness if it’s not treated, with Jo receiving surgery on the same day at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital to prevent this from happening.

Jo is now on the road to recovery, but is well aware things could have been much worse.

She said: “I'm trying to work at the moment and although I can see, I’m still only working with one eye really. You don't realise how important sight is until you don't have it.

“I stopped going to Gill a few years ago as I had laser eye surgery and didn’t think I needed their specialised treatment, but I can tell you now that, in the future, I will only be going back to Gill.”

To show her appreciation, Jo stopped off at the practice with chocolates to thank the staff.

Mr Mahmood says she deserves credit for spotting the symptoms and not giving up after being originally turned away from her usual opticians.

He said: “She’s an example of putting your eye health as a priority and getting any change in your vision checked to be absolutely sure.

“But it also highlights how important regular eye tests are; some issues can be symptomless but with our technology we can detect and try to solve potential problems before they become more serious. An eye exam is not just a check-up on your eyes, it can also give an outlook on your overall health as well.

“It was really nice to see Jo again and we really appreciated her gesture. We’re looking forward to continuing to help her in the future and make sure she has the best care possible.”

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