A senior theatre practitioner from Sandbach has shared how laser eye surgery has lifted a huge burden, giving her freedom and confidence after years of struggling with glasses and contact lenses. 

Shannon Bradley, 29, spends her working life helping others. As a senior theatre practitioner and ODP, she assists surgeons in life-changing orthopaedic operations including hip and knee replacements, as well as emergency trauma cases.

She received the life-changing laser eye surgery through the Optical Express' Thanks a Million free campaign

Her job demands intense focus, long hours on her feet supporting patients through critical procedures, and complete sterility – meaning she can't adjust her glasses or touch her face once scrubbed in. 

"I absolutely love my job," said Shannon, "every day we're helping people and giving them their lives back, whether it's fixing a broken leg or giving someone the chance to walk again after years of pain.

"It's hard work, but it's so rewarding to know you've made a difference to someone's life and made a difference in the local community."

Shannon's life has been transformed by the free laser eye surgery. (Photo: Shannon Bradley)

But while caring for others came naturally, Shannon's own relaxation was often bottom of her priority list. "I pour so much of myself into my job, but it means I'm not always the best at making time for myself."

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Behind the scenes, Shannon was battling a daily struggle with her eyesight, made worse by the long hours in sterile environments. 

"With glasses, they'd constantly ride down or steam up when wearing masks in theatre, and I couldn't touch my face to fix them because it's unsterile. I'd be asking colleagues to adjust them for me or even taping over my mask to stop the fogging.

"Contact lenses were slightly better, but after 10-hour shifts with the powerful laminar flow in theatre, my eyes were unbearably dry. It just wasn't working – it made my job so much harder. I also really disliked the impact of wasting plastic every month."

When Shannon discovered Optical Express' Thanks a Million free campaign – a pledge to donate another £1 million of laser eye surgery to NHS workers, emergency responders and unpaid carers – Shannon applied, never expecting to be chosen. Just a few weeks later, she received the life-changing news.

"I'd actually been saving up to pay for the surgery myself, so to be told I'd been accepted was just amazing. It meant I could put that money back into family life instead. It's taken such a weight off."

The surgery itself was far easier than Shannon expected: "I was nervous beforehand, but it was so quick – about a minute per eye. There was no pain, just a bit of pressure, and when I sat up afterwards I could already see. Within a couple of days, my vision was perfect.

"At my check-up they told me I had better than 20/20 vision, which is surreal. Even with glasses before, I don't think I ever saw this clearly."

Since the surgery, Shannon's life has changed dramatically – both at work and at home.

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"Work is so much easier now. No more steamed up glasses, no more dry and irritated eyes. And even outside of work, things like swimming on holiday or going to a water park with my family are much simpler. I don't have to think about contact lenses or worry about my glasses. Life just feels easier, and much more enjoyable.

"It's genuinely the best thing I've ever done. You don't realise how much you rely on your eyesight until it's a problem – now it feels like a weight has lifted."

Shannon is one of the thousands of people whose lives have been transformed through Thanks a Million, a campaign launched by Optical Express in 2017 and renewed now for the fourth time, to recognise and support those who put others before themselves.

Over £3 million worth of free treatment has already been donated to people across the UK, including NHS staff, unpaid carers and frontline workers.

David Moulsdale, Chairman and CEO of Optical Express, said: "Shannon's story is a heart-warming example of why we have relaunched our third Thanks a Million campaign.

"She gives so much of herself every day to help her patients, and it's wonderful to see how her life has been transformed by her vision correction."

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