Optical adviser Jayne Collard is raising awareness of the importance of sight tests after having a brain tumour detected by work colleagues in Eccles.
Collard, who has worked at Specsavers for 10 years, had visited her GP regarding migraines in the past but had been reassured there was nothing to worry about.
However, after a cluster of severe headaches and a family history of brain tumours, she got a second opinion from store director Una Martin who discovered a swelling behind her retina.
Following an emergency referral and scans which confirmed meningioma and brain tumour, Collard underwent a 12-hour operation to remove the tumours.
Collard said: ‘My doctor was great while telling me the news. He mentioned that while it was highly unlikely the tumours were cancerous, we wouldn’t know for certain until they were removed, and that an operation would be carried out to remove the tumours and install a titanium plate.’
After a 10-month absence, Collard returned to her job but is now more eager than ever to stress the importance of regular eye exams.
She added: ‘If this can happen to an optician it can happen to absolutely anyone. Every day I think how lucky I was that I asked Una to give me that eye test, and I’m so grateful for her brilliant response to what she found.’