A COUPLE whose daughter suffers with a painful eye condition are selling sweet treats to help fund research.
Claire and Julian Henley from Kenilworth fund-raise for charity Fight for Sight in a bid to find a cure for corneal dystrophy, which their eight-year-old daughter Matilda suffers from.
The rare, inherited condition leaves her with tiny cysts on her eyes, which can burst causing extreme pain and blurred vision.
Doctors have tried various treatments but none have worked. To manage the condition she has to use eye drops hourly through the day and put on an ointment and contact lenses at night.
To try and find a cure her parents raise money for Fight for Sight, with the money raise specifically used to fund research into corneal dystrophies.
Their annual fund-raising initiative sees the couple – under the name Team Tilda – sell hundreds of Christmas and sticky toffee puddings .
This year they have so far raised a record-breaking £3,300.
Claire said: “As parents it is incredibly frustrating not being able to solve your children’s problems. Seeing your child in pain and distress and being helpless to prevent this occuring is agony.
“As Matilda’s parents, we felt we needed to do something and by raising awareness of eye conditions and Fight for Sight, we feel we are helping Matilda.
“This fund will specifically be for research into corneal dystrophies, the condition that Matilda has and we hope that with your help, one day a cure may be found.
“We sell puddings to everyone and anyone – on the playground, at work, at Brownies, on the football pitch, as well as to any tradesmen who visit the house.
“We still have a carpenter and decorator who order every year to support us.”
There are still some puddings available being sold at Andrew Davies Bakery in Kenilworth.
Claire added: “This is a local-run bakery who we have known since our daughters, both called Matilda, were at nursery together. They support us every year by selling the Team Tilda puddings.”
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