'Help my mum see again'- West Lothian mother left blind due to lockdown delays in her treatment

Less than two weeks ago Kathryn Nicoll, 64, woke up at her home in Whitburn and was terrified to find she was unable to see.

The mother-of-two who is currently waiting for an operation to remove cataracts from both eyes first began to lose her vision in February 2020.

The cataracts have advanced “surprisingly quickly” over this 10-month wait and she is now completely blind.

Mrs Nicoll who is self-isolating at home with her husband Kenneth, 63, was told she faced a six-month wait for the operation.

But due to the pandemic, she now faces up to 24-months of blindness.

Daughter Laura Grant, 35, said her mother is “incredibly low” and spends a lot of time crying as she is unable to look after herself or see her grandchildren on FaceTime.

Ms Grant said: “She is so low and spends a lot of the time just crying because she feels like she is completely worthless and a waste of space. We try but there is not much we can do to lift her spirit.

“We were first told it would be a six-month wait, then it went up to 12-months and now it’s up to 24 months, it feels hopeless.”

The concerned daughter went on to say that her mother's condition is impacting the whole family including Mrs Nicoll’s three grandchildren, Grace 14, Luis, 11, Kenneth, 10.

Ms Grant said: “All three grandchildren are used to speaking to granny in the morning and throughout the day.

“My daughter is incredibly stressed because granny can't see and Kenny is upset because he can't wave or pull faces like usual.

“My eldest Luis keeps his emotions to himself but has stopped phoning his granny because he thinks it will upset her too much.”

The devastated family has been told that wait times could lengthen again as pressure on hospital staff increases over winter and have been advised to look into private care.

Ms Grant found a provider who is able to operate immediately but the surgery could cost up to £5000.

The family has been hit hard by the pandemic and Ms Grant who works as a bus driver said affording the operation is well out of their reach.

But determined to give her mother back her sight, the devoted daughter launched a Go Fund Me campaign asking for help.

Ms Grant said: “We never ask for anything but if it could help my mum see again it’s worth it, she needs my help.”

The fundraiser has been live for seven days and in that time has raised nearly £1000 with donations from friends, family and strangers all pouring in.

Ms Grant said: “My mum cannot believe that people have donated, she is overwhelmed, she told me she feels awestruck.”

The family said their ‘biggest wish’ is that this beloved mum and granny will have her sight back in time for Christmas and will be able to see her grandchildren open their presents.

Ms Grant said: “If we can raise enough money mum could have her sight back by Christmas. That would be the best thing that could ever happen, it would be a Christmas miracle.”

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