NEWSLETTER No. 372
Recent medical breakthroughs have successfully restored the sight of a mother through plasma donation and a young girl via innovative gene therapy. In addition to these clinical successes, researchers have been awarded Zakarian Awards to further explore the future of eye health using artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, the UK Government has launched the Timms Review, inviting visually impaired individuals to share their experiences to help improve the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system. Together, these updates highlight significant progress in both the treatment of vision loss and the support systems for those living with it. These stories collectively emphasize a period of hopeful advancement in medical technology and disability advocacy within the UK.
Cornish mum who went blind after giving birth has sight restored
A mother left blind after the birth of her child has had her sight restored following a plasma donation.
Jessica Kent-Hazledine, from Cornwall, said she feared the worst when she started losing vision in both eyes following the birth of her first child last year. After trying some other treatments, doctors arranged for her to receive a plasma exchange carried out by a new service run by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in the South West. The treatment helped restore 100% vision in her right eye and 75% in her left eye.
Read the full story here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rx1jd0p5xo
Six-year-old girl has eyesight restored by gene therapy
Saffie was five years old when she was diagnosed with a rare condition that meant she had no vision in low light and could end up losing her vision completely if not treated. Subsequently, her parents described the recent restoration of their daughter’s eyesight using gene therapy as a ‘miracle’.
Saffie Sandford, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, has a rare genetic condition called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, which causes blindness. Children with the condition typically have very little vision in daylight, and none in low light. It can lead to complete loss of sight by adulthood. By the age of five, Saffie needed to use a torch to eat her meals and was unsteady on her feet.
For the first time, Saffie can now see her parents’ faces in the dark; she has learnt to ride a bike, enjoys trampolining and swimming – all activities that she struggled to do before the treatment.
Read the full story here: https://www.itv.com/news/2026-04-22/its-like-a-miracle-six-year-old-girl-has-eyesight-restored-by-gene-therapy
Visually Impaired people encouraged to tell the UK Government how to improve Personal Independence Payments
As part of the UK Government’s review of Personal Independence Payments (PIP), there is now an important opportunity for people to share their views on PIP and how to achieve a system which respects and works for people with sight loss.
The review, known as the Timms Review, has opened a 10 week call for evidence on PIP – a benefit to support people in England and Wales with the extra costs of disability. Described as the start of their engagement plans, the review is keen to hear about the current challenges with PIP and how it could be improved.
Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE, co-chair of the Timms Review, shared: ‘It is vital that disabled people’s voices are at the heart of this Review. PIP has a profound impact on people’s daily lives, independence, and sense of dignity, so any conversation about its future must begin with those who live with its realities every day.’
Read the full article here: https://www.rnib.org.uk/news/tell-the-uk-government-how-to-improve-personal-independence-payment/
Shaping the future of eye health with AI: Fight for Sight and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists announce Zakarian Awards
Fight for Sight are once again partnering with The Royal College of Ophthalmologists to enable College members to conduct research into vision loss. They have awarded the sum of £46,150 to three researchers to gather pilot data, learn new skills and further develop their experience as vision researchers. Below we explore who they are and what they’ll be working on.
What are the Zakarian Awards? – The Zakarian award is a grant of up to £25,000 awarded to ophthalmologists and ophthalmology trainees to gain experience and skills in ophthalmic and vision research. The award is available for up to one year for ophthalmologists and the funding is split equally with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. This fund means ophthalmologists, doctors that specialise in eye health, can use this time to take on research projects, some of which might have been inspired by work in a clinical setting.
Read about the recipients here: https://www.fightforsight.org.uk/news-and-insights/news/research-blog/shaping-the-future-of-eye-health-with-ai-fight-for-sight-and-the-royal-college-of-ophthalmologists-announce-zakarian-awards-20252026/