UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi everyone,

I’ve been given permission by the chair Anne, to post some messages about my query within your forum.

I’m a Producer working for Optomen Television, an independent television production company. We’ve been commissioned to make a new ITV documentary series following UK patients undergoing potentially life changing medical procedures to restore hearing, mobility or sight.

We want to follow somebody undergoing treatment for Kerataconus. Through featuring your story, we’d hope to share how the condition affects your day to day life, as well as help raise awareness about the pioneering procedures available to help.

We have a high profile presenter who would be with you at key stages in your journey and we would update your progress at a later date to see how the operation has made an impact on your life.

If you or your child is due to receive a surgical treatment (such as a cornea graft or transplant this year) which is hoped to radically improve your sight, in the UK or abroad, I would love to hear from you.

For more info, and with no obligation at all, please contact Angela, Producer on 0203 227 5940 or email Angela.arora@optomen.com..

With many thanks,

Angela

good luck with finding someone and I hope when it airs you are going to spell KERATOCONUS correctly

I think this is fantastic!!! I really do hope someone steps up to this opportunity.

OP, ignore space cadet, he sounds like a "know it all idiot". Everyone makes spelling mistakes.

Your efforts and intentions to bring keratoconus as part of your series is really appreciated by the whole forum, and everyone who has keratoconus.

Got a feeling, what with listing her phone number and email address, we won't be hearing any replies from her on here...

Either way, sounds good to me. Anything to shine some light on keratoconus and stop me from having to explain exactly what it is every time I mention it!

Good luck.

This is a great opportunity - hope they find someone and raise awareness of Keratoconus

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your replies and support. I'm sorry for the typo - I'll ensure we do spell it properly!

I remain very keen to find a suitable story of a patient undergoing medical procedure/s to help improve vision severely affected by Keratoconus.

Ideally we'd like to follow a journey from the start - i.e. the first graft if both eyes are to be treated / before the surgery has taken place.

We hope that by doing so, we'll be able to highlight how the condition impacts on your day to day life and how modern medicine can help.
This is for a primetime ITV documentary series featuring a high profile presenter; a fantastic opportunity to share real life stories.

If you're on the waiting list or have a surgery date, please get in touch for a chat with no obligations and in the strictest confidence.

My direct line is 0203 2275940 and my email is angela.arora@optomen.com..

With warmest thanks,

Angela

Hi Angela,
I'm sorry you don't seem to have had any response yet, though being filmed for a documentary isn't everyone's cup of tea! And we seem to have fewer people asking about transplants in the last couple of years. Instead, the forum is full of people talking about collagen crosslinking (CXL) - the treatment that's designed to stop KC progressing and so avoid the need to ever have a transplant in the future. And while people having CXL will not have as advanced KC as those needing a transplant, it's still often affecting their lives, their careers or their studies.
Anne

Angela it's quite a long journey between both eyes being grafted and it's a year before sutures are removed and lens can be fitted, drama's when they very rarely feature grafts show big bandages and 20/20 vision after 5 mins, the reality of KC vision is more complex. I wish you luck, we very much need greater awareness of what the condition means and the lifelong issues after grafting. It's no picnic.

Was this aired?