Fear of blindness after sight battle
A LIFELONG problem with eyesight has given Gordon Brown one of his most daunting challenges. He lost his left eye and suffered loss of vision in his right after a boot in the head during a school rugby match at 16. For three decades he battled on until a period in 2009 when he wondered if he was going completely blind. He recalls: “My vision was foggy. I was driven to the consulting room of a prominent surgeon at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. “To my shock he discovered my right retina was torn in two places and an operation was urgently needed.” But after consulting another expert, they decided against the procedure. Brown says: “Both surgeons agreed this was not the time to operate. “I am grateful that the retina has held to this day and I feel lucky beyond words.”