A teen eye cancer survivor was guest of honour to launch newly refurbished premises for Vision Express Ruislip, which relocated its services following a fire at the store.
Kelsey Trevett, 15, performed a ribbon cut as a special guest of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. Kelsey was just 16 weeks old when he was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in both eyes. He underwent six months of chemotherapy, cryotherapy and laser therapy, as well as surgery to remove one of his eyes.
Sadly when he was five, Kelsey’s cancer returned and further treatment left him with no sight. Despite everything he has been through, Kelsey has never let his experience stand in his way and was given a prestigious Pride of Britain award in 2010 in recognition of his courage.
Kelsey and his mum were welcomed into the Ruislip optician by director Paras Vadgama and the store team. Paras said: “We were very happy to welcome Kelsey into the store to help us celebrate our relaunch following our unfortunate closure last year. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to restore the original store to its former glory, and it was great to hold a ribbon cutting with Kelsey to officially declare the store open.
“He is a great ambassador because of the courage he’s displayed at such a young age in the face of such adversity, and it was a good opportunity to raise awareness of an aggressive and devastating condition.”
Vision Express has enjoyed an award-winning partnership with CHECT since 2010. It was the first optician in the UK to roll out a protocol to ensure a quick and effective referral if retinoblastoma is suspected. Employees and customers of Vision Express have raised over £415,000 since the partnership was forged and recently presented us with a cheque for £45,000.