Hi °C | Lo °C A BLIND ex-Paralympic swimming champion can see his five medals for the first time after being fitted with a revolutionary eye implant.
Tim Reddish (55) can now see vague shapes and, in the right conditions, the time on a clock.
Mr Reddish (right), from Nottingham,England, began losing his sight when he was 31 after developing retinitis pigmentosa.
The dad of two went on to become part of the British Paralympic swimming team, winning silver and bronze in 1992 in Barcelona, silver and bronze in Atlanta in 1996 and a silver medal in Sydney in 2000.
Mr Reddish underwent surgery in October. He had a microchip with 1,500 light-sensitive panels inserted into both eyes. During surgery part of his skull was removed and the chip connected by wire behind his ear. When light enters the eye and reaches the chip, it stimulates pixels which send signals to the optic nerve and the brain. As well as his medals, he can also see his wife, Val (55) and their sons.
Robert MacLaren, a consultant surgeon involved in the trial at Oxford Eye Hospital, said: "We've had completely blind patients who were able to see things again."
Irish Independent
