St Paul's Eye Appeal
Recent events - Archive 2
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Mountain Man conquers Kilimanjaro
When keen
walker Allan Smith lost an eye to cancer he was determined to raise cash for
the Unit that performed the operation. Allan Smith and his friends therefore
decided to scale Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2005 to raise vital funds for
research into eye cancers.
Allan had his right eye removed in 2004 at St Paul's Eye Unit after his local optician discovered something was wrong behind his eye. He was referred to specialists at Wolverhampton Eye Hospital who diagnosed the cancer.
"When I was told I had eye cancer I didn't know what to do" says Allan. "I visited the opticians because I had fallen and broken my glasses. It was be pure luck that it was noticed".
Professor Bertil Damato, who runs the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre at St Paul's Eye Unit, confirmed the cancer diagnosis.
"After a couple of days I could not see out of my eye', said Allan "but you just have to accept it and get on with things. The support from my family and friends was tremendous and very much appreciated".
Allan, 61, was so grateful for the care and treatment he received that he decided to raise some money for our Unit. Kilimanjaro was mentioned and he together with five of his walking friends decided to tackle the world famous Tanzanian mountain. Preparation for the trek involved 25 mile hikes through Yorkshire and the Lake District.
Professor Damato said "We are very grateful to Allan for his support. Every penny raised will help us to research new forms of treatment for eye cancers".
Professor Damato established the Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre in 1993. It is a leading centre for eye cancers. Services include a practical guide for GP’s, free accommodation for those traveling great distances, a consultation recording for new patients and a telephone helpline.
Professor Damato recently won an award for an internet visual field test for people to check their vision.
Gig for Eyes
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The first Gig for Eyes to raise money for St Paul's Eye Appeal took place on February 25th, 2005. The venue was The Pilgrim pub in Liverpool city centre. The evening was a great success with over £300 being collected for the Appeal. "The Monkey Hangers" were the first band to play followed by two sets by "The Boogie Wonder Band". The Monkey Hangers are a band that have played extensively in Manchester and who have recorded several songs that they have written themselves. The ex-bass guitarist for the Monkey Hangers is Damian Farnell, then one of the lecturers in the Unit of Ophthalmology. Damian helped organise the event. The Boogie Wonder Band are well known in Liverpool for playing their energetic blend of rock and funk. |
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 The Monkey Hangers |
The Boogie Wonder Band |
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Christmas Carol Concert
The
Liverpool Walton Corps, Salvation Army nominated St Paul's Eye Appeal to
benefit from their popular Christmas Carol Concert, which took place on Sunday
12th December 2004.
The concert was held at their Cavendish Drive base in Walton and offered an opportunity to remember the true meaning of Christmas through music, word and drama.
It was a tremendous afternoon and raised £762. The crowd was entertained by the Salvation band, choir and a nativity play with over 20 cast members entitled "It's Time to Party".
We are very grateful to the Salvation Army for choosing St Paul's Eye Appeal to benefit from the hard work it took to stage the event. The generous support of groups like the Salvation Army enables St Paul's Eye Appeal to make a real difference for those who need our help.
Christmas Raffle
St
Paul's Eye Appeal coffers were raised by £298 when supporters of the
Appeal bought tickets for the 2004 Christmas Raffle.
The prizes for the raffle were kindly donated by supporters of the Appeal and included a teddy bear cake (Glynis & Dorrie Morgan-Hayes), a knitted doll (Edna Bennison) and a signed Everton ball to name a few.
The tickets were sold by the Volunteers' Department at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital to patients and staff.
The teddy bear cake was won by Ambulance Controller, Ann Simpson who was delighted with the prize, especially as she was celebrating her birthday that day.
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Thank you to everyone who helped organise the raffle and especially to those who bought a ticket.
If you have any unwanted gifts or donations that can be used for future raffles please contact Lindy Gee on 0151 706 4291.
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