A STUDENT from Frome College is raising funds to go to Germany for optic nerve therapy, to help improve a degenerative eye disease.
Sam Horton, a year 11 pupil, has optic nerve atrophy which affects both eyes, giving him very limited sight. In a bid to improve his eyesight, Sam will be going to Berlin next February, to receive electrical eye stimulation therapy, which is currently not available in the UK.
Sam has previously had one round of therapy three years ago. Now, to be able to go to Germany for more therapy, Sam needs to fundraise £6,000.
Fundraising activities are under way and have included cake and car boot sales. On Sunday 20th November the total fundraised at that point was £75. However, this increased following a share by Frome College on its Facebook page, of Sam’s story and the link to his JustGiving page. The funds increased in four days to nearly £4,000.
Speaking about the treatment in Germany and why this is not available in the UK Sam’s mother Lisa Horton said, “The treatment is an electrical eye stimulation where they place small probes around Sam’s eyes. It has been going for 30 years but the NHS feel it is still in a trial period. When we went to Germany for the treatment before, there were people there from Africa, America, Canada and Australia.
“The therapy has helped Sam and every day after the last round he felt his sight was improving and he kept saying how things were getting clearer and brighter.” Sam was diagnosed with optic nerve atrophy when he was in year six, after a teacher at his primary school noticed he wasn’t reading as well as he could have been.
Lisa said, “There were lots of tests involved from that point and it took a while to diagnose him. We went to Bristol and they have just been amazing. They keep regular tabs on Sam and he has regular check-ups.”
Sam’s second round of therapy is in February next year, before his GCSEs start.
Speaking about the ‘life-changing’ affect the therapy could have on him, and his gratitude for all the support received so far, Sam said, “I have been overwhelmed and so grateful for all the people who have donated. My eyesight is bad and I get very frustrated that I can’t do as much as I would like to do and having to use magnifiers and enlarging work at college, but I do get a lot of help from teaching assistants. When I go to Germany, I have confidence that it will go well and I will be able to do more things, it would be life changing for me.”
Thanking Frome College and the community for their help Lisa said, “The teachers and teaching assistants at Frome College have gone above and beyond. They have always been there for Samuel and helping him with his work.
“We are just so thankful to people for the support they have given us. With everything going on and the cost-of-living crisis, people have just been so generous. We are so grateful.”
