Margaret Parkinson can see again after six years

Margaret Parkinson from Llandudno has been blind for the past six years after an illness damaged her eyes.

But surgeons at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor have carried out a three-hour operation to replace a damaged cornea from one eye so Mrs Parkinson could regain her sight in the other.

Now she has been able to see one of her great-grandchildren for the first time and is looking forwards to seeing the rest of her 20 great-grandchildren and relatives

"I hadn't seen the youngest Eden since she was born and they have all grown up so much. They look very different," said Mrs Parkinson.

Operations such as this are rare because the number of patients suffering this kind of complaint are rare Consultant eye surgeon Syed Amjad

"I didn't think I would ever see again because of my age.

"I couldn't see a thing.

"But now I've been looking at how green the grass is, the flowers, the trees and the mountains - even the colour of people's clothes."

Mrs Parkinson will be fully recovered when the stitches in both eyes are taken out in 12 months time.

"But I'm feeling fine and enjoying every minute of it by getting about and seeing things.

"Three lots of family have already been to see me, and the next visit will be my son and his family in August."

Mrs Parkinson is full of praise for the team at Ysbyty Gwynedd who operated on her last month.

"My consultant Mr Amjad has been marvellous.

"I can't thank him and the team enough.

Teamwork

"I never felt a thing throughout and everything went well from day one. They couldn't believe how well I was the following day!"

The man who performed the operation, consultant eye surgeon Syed Amjad, paid tribute to the teamwork of the staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

"I would not have been able to carry out a complicated such as this without the support of the consultant anaesthetist and the other team members," said Mr Amjad, who has a special interest in corneal transplantation.

In surgery lasting nearly three hours Mr Amjad was able to transfer Mrs Parkinson's good left cornea on to her right eye.

"Operations such as this are rare because the number of patients suffering this kind of complaint is rare," he said.