Viewpoint Opticians in York is celebrating a double success after their child eye cancer campaign gained the support of York MP Julian Sturdy and raised much needed funds for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).
Viewpoint teamed up with CHECT to help them raise awareness of retinoblastoma; a life-threatening form of eye cancer that develops in the cells of the retina, affecting babies and young children.
Currently, there is no NHS information available to parents highlighting the signs of the condition and how to spot it. By supporting the CHECT, Viewpoint aims to help get the symptoms published in the Personal Child Health Record (Red book) and the Birth to Five Book; materials that all parents get when they have a child.
Following a week of raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of child eye cancer, Viewpoint has gained the support of MP Julian Sturdy. The Viewpoint team contacted Mr Sturdy, asking him to support CHECT in their bid to get the symptoms published by the Department of Health. The York MP will be tabling a written question in the near future.
Along with raising awareness, the team at Viewpoint also raised £520 for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust after donating £20 for every pair of glasses sold throughout World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week (13th to 19th May).
Trevor Rowley, business owner of Viewpoint, said: “We are delighted to have raised this amount for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. It’s such a worthy cause; one which we will continue to support in the future. We were thrilled to have gained the support of Julian Sturdy and hope that it brings us one step closer to getting the symptoms of retinoblastoma published by the Department of Health.”
Joy Felgate, Chief Executive of CHECT, said: “The funds raised through the partnership between Viewpoint Opticians and the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust will help to ensure that when a parent’s worst nightmare is realised and they are told the devastating news that their child has eye cancer, they do not have to face this on their own.
“CHECT provides a support worker who will be there to help them from the point of diagnosis throughout the whole journey, giving them strength to see their child through treatment and finding practical and financial solutions to ease their pressure. CHECT also funds and supports ground breaking research projects into the causes of the condition and new treatments that will benefit children in the future.
“We are extremely grateful for everything the staff at Viewpoint Opticians has done to help raise awareness of eye cancer in children and much needed funds to enable us to continue this vital work.”
