The second Eyes on the Future Gala Dinner saw guests arrive to a glittering event at one of London’s most exclusive venues and raise £220,000 to fund research to fast-track treatment for an incurable eye condition.
The incredible generosity that was a signature of the evening marks another big step in the fight against one of the cruellest diseases – a disease that guarantees the children with it are blind in their teenage years.
Organised in association with the charity RP Fighting Blindness, representatives from Tratos and their guests were delighted to support the evening and Esharelife donated a stunning original artwork for auction. The watercolour painting, by Bulgarian born – British made artist Mihov, contributed £2000.
Fundraising during the evening far exceeded expectations and will go a long way to advancing the search for a cure for Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). LCA is a form of retinitis pigmentosa and is a primary cause of blindness in children, affecting two to three in every 100,00 individuals. There is no cure and sufferers face certain blindness by the time they are in their late teens.
Silvia Carolini, the driving force behind the Eyes on the Future Dinner, has a four-year-old daughter with LCA caused by faults in the RDH12 gene; a particularly fast progressing variant of the condition.
“The thought that your child is progressively losing their sight is heart breaking. We are committed to doing everything we can to help my daughter Vicky and children like her. Tonight’s event has been incredible, and we are eternally grateful to everyone who attended and helped boost our fundraising efforts,” said Ms Carolini.
Tina Houlihan, Chief Executive at RP Fighting Blindness commented: “The Eyes on the Future Gala Dinner raised much needed awareness of this little-known condition, as well as funds for vital scientific research.
“LCA is a progressive condition and the RDH12 variant is particularly severe. Quality research is costly, and we sincerely thank Silvia for her considerable efforts in organising events like this one. Without supports like her, we simply couldn’t undertake the important work we do”.
For further information visit www.eyesonthefuture.org.uk/