RETIRED financial consultant, Simon St Leger-Harris, who lives near Wiveliscombe, is training for the London Marathon after almost losing his sight.

What began as a routine appointment for Mr St Leger-Harris resulted in a referral to Bristol Eye Hospital after finding out that he had three separate detachments in his retinas.

After narrowly escaping blindness, Mr St Leger-Harris is due to run the London Marathon in an attempt to raise funds for the charity Retina UK.

Mr St Leger-Harris said: “It was just luck that I had an appointment at the opticians that day.

“It’s difficult for me to find the words to adequately thank all the many staff who saved my sight.”

He has since undergone numerous operations to reattach his retinas, each of which required long periods of lying face down to aid recovery.

He has also endured further operations to correct his lifelong double vision, squint, and cataracts. 

Mr St Leger-Harris said: “At the end of it all, with artificial lenses, my sight was actually better than ever before.

“I became a member of the Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital charity and a trustee, and the following year I became the treasurer.”

Friends of Bristol Eye Hospital raise funds to help pay for medical equipment, patient comforts, and staff resources, which would not otherwise be provided.

To donate to Mr St Leger-Harris’s fund-raiser, visit his Just Giving page.