One of Ireland’s best-known artists says he feared losing his eyesight and livelihood until a ‘bionic’ operation at Belfast’s Cathedral Eye Clinic.
Maurice Harron, 63, is famous at home and abroad for his public artworks.
Perhaps his most famous work is the ‘Peace Statue’ erected at Carlisle Square at the city end of the Craigavon Bridge in Derry/Londonderry. It depicts Catholic and Protestant reaching out to each other and has come to symbolise the peace process.
However Mr Harron has revealed that three different eye illnesses threatened his eye sight and the completion of new works at home as well as a project in Colorado, USA.
Mr Harron, a native of Derry who has a studio in Burt, Co Donegal said today:
I knew I was losing my eyesight and it was a huge shock for me; it wasn’t just about losing my sight, it was also about losing my work, my way of life.
I sought advice and was told there was nothing that could be done for me. I was too old for laser eye treatment.
I was also diagnosed with the illness glaucoma. When I heard about the Cathedral Eye Clinic in Belfast from a friend, I’d thought I’d go along and get a check up. I was in shock when they told me I had cataracts as well.
Professor Johnny Moore said he could remove the cataracts but also replace the lens in each eye with new permanent artificial lenses. He was brilliant throughout.
Maurice Harron had one lens inserted in May and a second procedure on his other eye took place last week.
He plans to follow this with the iStent procedure to tackle his glaucoma. The tiny device stops the spread of the illness – a procedure pioneered at the Cathedral Eye Clinic.
Speaking at his studio at Burt, Co Donegal, Mr Harron said:
I’m absolutely stunned at the results. I can see clearly, as if I was 15 years old again. It’s like being given new bionic eyes!
There is no blurring, no straining of the eyes. I can see in perfect 20:20 vision and the colours are just amazing.
The sharpness and the clarity has given me a new lease of life. I can see things that I could never see before.
I’ve gone from someone who thought I’d never be able to continue my work to someone who has a clear vision of the future, in more ways than one.
I knew I was too old for laser eye surgery; this new artificial multifocal lens inserted into my eye gives hope to people of my age who have been told in the past that there’s nothing anyone can do for them.
Clearly the experts and Professor Moore at the Cathedral Eye Clinic do have solutions and I have to say I don’t know what I would have done without them.
I came out of the theatre at 11.30am and two hours later I had taken the patch off and could see like I’ve never seen before.
The successful lens operation which was carried out by one of Northern Ireland’s leading eye specialist Professor Jonathon Moore from Belfast’s Cathedral Eye Clinic.
Maurice had multifocal lenses inserted into the front of his eyes in separate operations.
The professor, who lectures on the procedure to other eye specialists from around the world, said today:
Vision correction surgery has really taken off from small beginnings two decades ago.
I have been working to help develop new techniques and the multifocal lens replacement is the very latest technology. It’s the next step forward and it’s a huge step forward.
It opens up a whole new world, especially for those over the age of 40 who tend not to be suitable for regular laser treatment.
I am particularly delighted for Maurice. His works are incredible and now he can continue to give the world his wonders.