A grandma who has made the dreams of almost 2,000 poorly children come true has seen her own Christmas wish fulfilled.
Every year since the late 1990s, Maria Moseley has taken 100 children and their families to meet Father Christmas in Lapland. For much of that time, she has been suffering for acute macular degeneration (AMD), which can make patients go blind.
Now, Maria is celebrating ten years of treatment by thanking medics at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. The treatment has saved her eyesight, meaning that Maria, one of the founders of local charity When You Wish Upon a Star, which supports poorly children by giving them trips of a lifetime, has been able to continue with the children's trips to Lapland.
Each year, Maria takes 100 children and their families from across the North West to see Father Christmas. From 1998 to 2018, 1,700 children have been given that chance.
Maria wrote a special letter of thanks to Romi Chhabra, the consultant ophthalmologist who began her treatment, praising her for the support through the last decade.
“Ms Chhabra consoled me through the tears as the realisation of the seriousness of my condition threatened to overwhelm me, and she understood the impact AMD has not only had on me, but my family and friends," Maria wrote.
“She has encouraged me to carry on with the treatments and I’ve since had 10 years of injections, now in both eyes. The support I’ve had means that I could keep planning the trips for the children. It’s not just changed my life - it’s also helped so many children.”
The treatment has also meant Maria can keep up her hobby of making handmade greetings cards, which she enjoys sending to friends and family.
“I have had to change the card designs over the years to make the designs simpler, as my vision has become more limited, but I’ve kept it as a hobby for a decade which would not have been possible if I hadn’t received the on-going treatment at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital team," Maria added.
“I moved from Stockport to Northwich in 2018 but stayed with the hospital, because of the excellent care and support which I received. They’ve made such a difference to my life and I can’t thank them enough.”
Romi Chhabra, the consultant ophthalmologist at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, added: “We were so pleased to have received this letter - what a magnificent woman Maria is in so many ways. We made her wish come true by keeping her eyesight going over the last ten years, while Maria made the trip of a lifetime come true for so many children.
“Maria has moved homes a few times but has always chosen to remain as one of our patients at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. Having looked after Maria for so many years, it is my belief that she comes here because she feels that she’s receiving the best possible treatment, support and care for her chronic eye condition - this is from a very empathic, understanding, caring and expert medical retina team.”
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