Grandmother Rosemary Harries feared she would miss out on seeing her grandchildren growing up after developing ocular melanoma. But after seeing a CNN make-up artist with the same condition interviewed on Good Morning Britain last week she has urged wider use of state-of-the-art laser scanners to protect eye health.
Harries, from Northamptonshire, was diagnosed in 2008 following a routine eye examination at Tompkins, Knight & Son Optometrists (TK&S) in Kingsley Road, Northampton.
The check-up included imaging from the Optomap ultra-wide field laser scanner, which highlighted an unusual vein movement. She was referred to her doctors and, ultimately, hospital. Within three weeks she was undergoing surgery to save her sight.
Harries said: ‘As I was laying in my hospital bed I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to see my granddaughter grow up. I now realise that having that eye examination, and in particular the Optomap scan, was the most important thing I’ve ever done.’
TK&S owner Brian Tompkins added: ‘It’s essentially the difference between opening the door and looking into the whole eye or peering through the keyhole.’