November 10th, 2015

Danny Ball, 35, lives in the UK and has Type 1 Diabetes. He experienced serious diabetic eye changes that had become too advanced to treat by the time he sought help at St Thomas’ Hospital.

Danny says: “Like many young men, I felt invincible. I thought sight loss was something that happened to other people.

“When I started finding it difficult to read I put it down to my eyes being tired. I failed to get them checked until it was too late. I’m now blind in one eye and almost blind in the other.”

Danny, who plans to undertake a PhD researching why young men fail to engage in healthcare, is sharing his story to help others.

He said: “My sight could have been saved if I’d checked my eyes earlier. It’s crucial to make people aware of the importance of having regular eye check-ups, particularly if they have diabetes.