“It’s an expensive business being blind…”, said the sales assistant at a well know high street opticians.

“You can’t say that ! I’m sure that breaks all sorts of policies”, I replied laughing at her comment. The fact of the matter is that it is, especially if you chose frames from the designer ranges in the shop.

Many years back I was working with a salesman called Alex Patrick-Smith who, when traveling across India on a train, sat next to Mrs Zelma Lazarus, CEO of Impact India Foundation. As she talked about her charity, which funds the Lifeline Express trains which provides a mobile hospital bringing medical care to remote rural areas, he decided there and then to spend his honeymoon with his bride, Dana,on a year long trip cycling around the world to raise money for them.

You don’t need to get married, nor to learn to ride a tandem or even spend as much money as I did today : just £25 or $49 restores the sight for one person by surgery with Intra Ocular Lens implant.

Learn more about Impact India here and send them some money using this handy form here.

It’s costly being blind but bringing sight back to someone is a real bargain …