I lost the sight in my right eye when I was thirty years old due to a retinal bleed – very uncommon at that age. Lucky hey? The eye did not start deteriorating until about five years after the event and gradually turned a sickly blue.

I put up with this image until 2001 when I was referred to Paul Geelen and he attempted to make a cover for the unsightly eye.

Alas it did not work as the old eye was too swollen and it rejected the cover. During the fitting Paul asked why I had retained my natural eye and had not had it removed. I explained that the specialist I saw when it first happened recommended I keep my natural eye as long as possible.

Paul asking me that question started the cogs working. When the scleral cover rejected I started to go down the track of having it removed and a prosthetic fitted.

I have now finished my treatment as such and am very thankful to Paul and Jenny for being so dedicated to what they do; it has changed my whole outlook on life.

Reprinted with permission from Alan Harrison. You may link to this story, but please do not copy or otherwise circulate.