Aneesa looks to help eye disease fight
ASPIRING eye surgeon, 18-year-old Aneesa Hameed from Manchester High School for Girls, is raising awareness of macular degeneration (MD).
The disease, the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK, is close to Aneesa’s heart, because some of her family members suffer from it.
The Cheadle resident, who is currently sitting her A-level exams in biology, chemistry and maths at Manchester High, has been raising awareness of its symptoms among students and staff at her school as part of Macular Week, which ran from June 25 to July 1.
She has also raised £360 for the Macular Society and hopes to take her campaign to other schools before pursuing medicine next year, with hopes of becoming an eye specialist.
Aneesa said: “MD is a huge problem and I felt that I needed to educate people about its effects.
“There are not many treatments available, so prevention of the disease is key.
“The main warning sign is seeing straight lines appearing distorted and, if you do experience any symptoms, contact an optometrist immediately, otherwise the central vision may be lost within weeks. “An effective way to prevent MD is to wear UV-protected sunglasses, as up to 80 per cent of UV radiation damage happens before the age of 18.
“I want to tell my peers about the disease in the hope that they all pick up a pair of sunglasses and safeguard themselves.
“The support from my teachers was fantastic and enabled me to take my talks to a wide audience.
“My whole experience at Manchester High has been amazing. I am, however, looking forward to the next chapter in my life and hopefully will reach more people about the important issue of looking after your vision.”
‘MD is a huge problem and I felt that I needed to educate people about its effects’