AN ACTOR from Blaenau Ffestiniog who was left partially blind after dirt got under his contact lens and into his eye wants to raise awareness about eye care.
Callum Evans, 26, said he had a bath after a long sunbathe on Monday, 19 July. Whilst in the bath, a piece of dirt got under his contact lens and into his eye. Later that evening he found the eye had become irritated, but he was able to sleep.
The following morning, Callum’s eye was stinging but he carried on with his day. However, during the day, his eye area started to swell and he had to force himself to open his eye. Now he wants to raise awareness of the importance of looking after contact lenses.
On the evening of Tuesday, 20 July, Callum’s mum drove him to hospital, as he explained.
“We drove to Alltwen Hospital as I was in severe pain trying to figure out what was happening. The nurse there put some dye in my eye, and found a two millimetre abrasion cut in the centre of my eye (from the dirty water) and also a perfectly circular burn around the rim of the eye (from the tanning oil).
“She gave me antibiotic ointment and said if it didn’t heal I should go back immediately. By the next morning, everything had changed and I couldn’t see a thing.
“Pus had built up in and around my eye, the nerves weren’t working and I honestly thought I was blind.
“I booked an early appointment immediately with the local Alton Murphy opticians who told me just to use the drops and said they would follow up the next day. They were all so helpful.
“I still just wanted total reassurance that I wasn’t blind so my mum phoned yet another facility, Blaenau Ffestiniog Health Surgery, to see what exactly was going on.
“I was rushed over to the A&E department at Ysbyty Gwynedd as I was told if I didn’t go straight away I could lose my sight.
“I was rushed into the A&E department by nurse Aunty Jule who was super calming.
“I was seen instantly by the eye specialist who then said I’d need to stay overnight.
“By the next morning all the heat and pus had come to the surface and I thought ‘That’s it, there’s not a hope in hell this eye is going to be saved’.
“The eye specialist told me it wasn’t an ulceration of the cornea of the eye, but a seven millimetre abscess that had made its way into the cut and spread across the eye.
“I’m just taking it day by day, following the same procedures. I haven’t slept that much but if it means saving my eye so be it!
“I’m able to open my eye fully now and not have any sensitivity to light so it’s looking very hopeful!
“I can’t even tell you how incredible the NHS staff have been to help me relax in this time and all my closest friends and family have been so phenomenally supportive.”
Callum encourages anyone who wants to talk to him about contact lens health to message him on his instagram page, which is @Callum_evans_95