Victorian testimonials:

•	Alan Downie, 51, Burwood East
•	Alan Mitchell, 57, Bendigo
•	Bob Jamieson, 57, Bendigo
•	Hedley Moon, 62, Pyramid Hill
•	Kath Ponsonby, Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma and Cataracts

Alan Mitchell, 57, Bendigo

Local Bendigo resident, Alan Mitchell knows the importance of regular eye checks. The 57 year old accountant, who is now completely blind, discovered that he had glaucoma through a regular check-up procedure.

"I went to the optometrist after I thought I needed glasses as my eye sight was not as good as it used to be," Alan says.

"Without a check-up I might not have learnt of my condition until much later."

Alan lost the vision in one eye 20 years ago through glaucoma and then the vision in the other, in September 2001, from bleeding behind the eye which is sometimes associated with glaucoma.

While there is no cure for glaucoma, Alan says knowing what is happening to your eyes means that you can work with the condition to halt its progression and maintain the best quality of life for as long as you can.

Alan used magnifying glasses for a while to assist him with his work. More recently, Alan sought assistance from Guide Dogs Victoria and has recently started working with his Guide Dog, Brandy. All of GDV's services are provided free of charge and Brandy is already making a big difference to his life.

He is still doing some work in the finance area and leads an active life.

For more information:
For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact Monique Van Wierst on
(03) 9656 2027 or mvanwierst@vision2020australia.org.au