Sunday 31 August 2008

From Sam to Sharon

Sharon Siddique has been elected as the new president of the Macular Degeneration Society of Singapore yesterday. The 61-year-old academic, writer and consultant replaces Sam Fong, who has led the society since its founding in June 2007.

Sharon was chosen as the president by a new seven-man executive committee, which was elected by MDS members in its inaugural Annual General Meeting last month.

Journalist Peh Shing Huei, the former treasurer, will take over as secretary - a position which was formerly occupied by Sharon. Lee Soo Mien, a lab technologist, is the new treasurer.

The other Exco members are former Ministry of Community Development deputy secretary Lim Hsiu Mei, nurse Anny Leow, former teacher Doreen Heng and Sam.

Sam, a retired engineer and a glaucoma patient, had asked to step down as president to concentrate on his volunteer work as the head of the Glaucoma Patients Association - a partner of MDS.

The MDS would like to thank him for his contributions to the society. Quite simply, he was the engine behind the society's formation - putting into reality the vision of our adviser Prof Au Eong Kah Guan, who first mooted the idea of setting up a macular degeneration support group in Singapore.

Sam gathered a team, courted sponsors to raise funds and drummed up the publicity to build awareness for macular degeneration and MDS. The 63-year-old even learnt how to set up a website from scratch in order to give the society a much-needed platform online.

Unknown to many, the grandfather of five often paid out of his own pocket to fund the society's activities and operations.

We look forward to his continued contributions to MDS as an Exco member and thank him, once again, for his hard work and dedication over the last two years.

Please click here to read the full bio of the Exco members.

Wednesday 20 August 2008

The Last Lecture

Professor Randy Pausch may not suffer from macular degeneration, but his words, experiences and most of all, his life, is an inspiration to all - regardless of your medical condition. He has earned international fame for his "Last Lecture", which you can view below.

On July 25, at the age of 47, he died of pancreatic cancer. Before death, he said something which is a good motto for all of us - "You cannot change the cards you are dealt - just how you play the hand."



Wednesday 13 August 2008

Do you have early treatment advice?

By Lim Kim Lan
An MDS member
Has anyone been given advice from an opthalmologist about early treatment regimes apart from not straining the eyes, taking nutritious food for eyes, etc? In my own experience, I would consider myself fully predisposed to MD since one of my eyes has been diagnosed with Myopic MD.
Yet no one (I have visited 3 different prominent specialists) has offered me any "early treatment regiment" so as to arrest MD developing in my remaining myopic eye (not yet affected by MD). All have just dismissed me with the info that they "can't do anything since yours is a "MYOPIC MD".
They merely prescribed some over-the- counter-eye drops for dry eyes and invited me to come back when when my eyes deteriorate!
Would love to hear from anyone with other experiences. Thank you.
Lim Kim Lan

Wednesday 6 August 2008

Stem cells the answer?

Check out this informative video on how stem cells could be the answer to cure macular degeneration.