When Grandma Sees A Whirlpool

It took Denise Au Eong five months to write the children's book When Grandma Sees a Whirlpool but she found it a fulfilling experience. Despite having to juggle school work and writing her maiden book, Denise (below, centre) said it was not difficult. 

She was speaking to Macular Degeneration Society members on Saturday during a special launch of the book. The children's book, which tells of a grandmother and her grandson's journey towards learning about age-related macular degeneration, is meant to educate young ones about the vision-robbing disease.

Denise, who is the daughter of MDS adviser Au Eong Kah Guan, shared that response to the book has been very positive. And she is already working on a second children's book on cataracts. 

Dr Au Eong added that When Grandma Sees a Whirlpool is meant for children between the age of 8-10. Denise has been joining her dad on community outreach programmes to build awareness of vision diseases and it was natural step for her to build on the experiences and pen a book. 

MDS also held its annual general meeting after the launch of the book. President Sharon Siddique gave a report of the year's events and members present also discussed possible events next year. Sharon paid tribute to Dr Au Eong for his continued guidance and support. 

Dr Au Eong and Denise have donated many copies of the book to MDS to help us raise funds. All members who have paid their dues for 2012-2013 get a copy free. 

Reminder: AGM this Sat

To all MDS members, please remember that we are having our Annual General Meeting this Saturday. And in conjunction with our meeting, we will also be having a special launch of a children's book on age-related macular degeneration. 

See our earlier post for all the details. 

Look forward to seeing you on Saturday! 

Revolutionary lens implants

More reports of how implanted lens can help improve the vision of dry AMD patients. This new IOL-Revolution lenses have been introduced in the United Kingdom and seem to be making strong progress. 

Read this report to find out more how it has helped someone like Jeffrey Howell, 68 (below), a retired general manager of an engineering company.

This new lens should be an improvement of the previous IOL-VIP lens we posted on this blog five years ago. Read our previous report from 2008. 

Notice for 2013 Annual General Meeting

Dear MDS members,

Our 2013 MDS AGM will be held on Saturday afternoon, 31 August 2013 from 2.30pm to 4pm. 

At 2.30pm we will have a special launch of Denise Au Eong’s recently published book, When Grandma Sees a Whirlpool. The story is about a young boy who accompanies his mother and grandma on a visit to an ophthalmologist, where Grandma is diagnosed with AMD. Denise will tell us how she came to write the book, and be on hand to autograph copies.

Denise is the daughter of our MDS advisor, Dr Au Eong Kah Guan, who has generously given each MDS member a copy of the book, which you can collect at the AGM. If you are a lapsed member, come and pay up your $10 for 2013 membership. You will still come out ahead, as the book sells for $12!

AGENDA OF THE 6th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

Date: Saturday, 31st August 2013

Time: 2.30pm – 4pm

Venue: All For Eyes, Tanglin Shopping Centre, #05-23

2.30pm – Welcome by MDS Secretary, Peh Shing Huei

2.35pm – Discussion with Denise Au Eong, followed by tea break

3.15pm – MDS AGM 

Annual Report 2012/2013 

Financial Report 2012/2013

Overview of MDS online: website, blog and facebook

Discussion of future activities 2013/2014

Please indicate your attendance by either calling Anne (6238-7387), or sending an e-mail to alleyes@singnet.com.sg.

We hope to see you on the 31st of August!

Visually-impaired iPhone app

How about an iPhone app which allows the visually impaired to identify objects they encounter in their daily lives? Now you can have it with TapTapSee. Simply double tap the screen to take a photo of anything and hear the app speak the identification back to you.

Click on this link to find out more. 

Watch this video to learn how it works. 

Seeing-Aid Device from Israel

An interesting gadget from Israel could soon take the world by storm. A startup from the Middle Eastern country has come up with a gizmo which can help the visually handicapped "see". 

It is a gadget which is attached to a pair of glasses. The device can tell you what is in front of you, read aloud a book and even identify your family and friends. 

And it is only as expensive as a hearing aid. 

Check out this exciting story from Bloomberg. 

Japan's OK world's first stem cell trial

Japan has given the green light to the world's first clinical trial using stem cells harvested from a patient's own body. 

The cells used in this instance are the "induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells" - or "adult cells". Until the discovery of iPS cells several years ago, the only way to obtain stem cells was to harvest them from human embryos.

This is controversial because it requires the destruction of the embryo, a process to which religious conservatives, among others, object.

iPS cells do not come with such baggage. (Read our report on Dr Mandeep Singh's talk to MDS last year to find out more about how iPS cells work)

Japan's new trial treatment will try to create retinal cells that can be transplanted into the eyes of patients suffering from AMD, replacing the damaged part of the eye. It will start with six patients, all who suffer from AMD. Cells will be taken from their skin. 

Click here to read more about this groundbreaking development.